Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: All Saints Episcopal Church

Studio Name: Connick (Charles J.), Ltd.

City: Pontiac

Window Shape: 6 (gothic arched, more than 2 vertical sections)

Subject/Title of Window: Resurrection

Brief Description of Subject: The figures of our Lord on the cross flanked by John and his mother were traditionally placed on a beam which spanned the archway between the nave and chancel. This "rood" beam was a depiction of the Word from the cross: "Mother behold your son; son, behold your mother." This scene is portrayed in the window in the east wall above the holy table. Our Lord is shown in his resurrection life, right hand lifted in blessing. From his three-rayed nimbus, which signifies divinity and is used only with a Person of the Trinity, emanate rays of light.

St. Mary faces our Lord on the left. Enriching the nimbus about her head are five Epiphany, or five-pointed, stars of Jacob. The prophecy of Numbers 24:17, "A star shall come out of Jacob," was fulfilled by the star which directed the Magi to the infant Jesus. Directly above Mary's head is her symbol, the vase of pure white lilies. Scattered in the blue field about her is her monogram, A on M (Ave Maria), literally "Hail Mary."

St. John faces our Lord on the right. He holds the usual pen and book which symbolize the Evangelists. Directly above his head is his unique symbol, the eagle, and the field around him is enriched with his initial J.

All three figures are portrayed in richly ornamented canopies, the glassman's  way of suggesting a carved niche. The outer borders of the canopies are designated in the same grapevine motif as in the prophets' windows. In the predella below our Lord, the angel at the empty tomb is represented. Facing him from the predella beneath Mary are the three women who had "brought spices, so that they might go and annoint him." (Mark 16:1). In the predella below John are John and Peter who, when they heard from Mary Magdalene that the tomb was empty, ran together to the sepulcher (John 20:1-10).

All of the tracery members which form the upper part of the window are enriched with the roses of divine love. Above St. Mary is the Tower of David, reminiscent of the Annunciation when Gabriel told Mary that God would give her son "the throne of his ancestor David" (Luke 1:32). The IHC and XPC of Jesus and the first three Greek letters (chi, rho, sigma) of Christ, respectively. Above St. John are the chalice and serpent, recalling his miraculous deliverance from the poisoned draught.

Inscriptions: In sacred remembrance of members of this parish who have entered paradise.


Height: ~168"

Width: ~96"

Type of Glass and Technique: Lead Came

The MSGC is a constantly evolving database. Not all the data that has been collected by volunteers has been sorted and entered. Not every building has been completely documented.

All images in the Index are either born-digital photographs of windows or buildings or are scans of slides, prints, or other published sources. These images have been provided by volunteers and the quality of the material varies widely.

If you have any questions, additions or corrections, or think you can provide better images and are willing to share them, please contact donald20@msu.edu