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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Historic Trinity Lutheran Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Detroit

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

Date of Window: 1930

Subject/Title of Window: John the Baptist, Isaiah, and Joel

Brief Description of Subject: From, "An Interpretation of the Stained Glass Windows in Trinity Lutheran Church, Detroit, Michigan. By their maker: Henry Lee Willet."

Clerestory No. 4   John the Baptist, Isaiah, and Joel.
John the Baptist carries in his arms the Lamb of God Whose way he prepared and Whom he baptized. The predella shows John exhorting the people in the wilderness to repent and make straight the way ot the Lord, while in the canopy above is shown the young John the Baptist in the home of Mary with the child Jesus. One shield shows Salome and the other the platter with the head of John the Baptist resting thereon.

Isaiah holds a scroll on which is shown the prophecy of the coming of the Saviour and His vicarious sacrifice. The predella below shows Isaiah making the great prophecy: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the govenment shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful. Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." In the canopy is the sorrowing servant of Isaiah trodding the wine press alone. One shield shows the chalice and the host; the other shows the PX.

Joel holds in his hand the scroll on which is written: "The day of the Lord cometh, it is nigh at hand." The predella subject shows the angel of God blowing the trumpet at the day of judgement and the man made walls crumbling while above is Christ in judgement. The shields at either side of Joel's hand show the darkened sun and the bloody moon. Joel 2, 31.

The shield in the canopy of John the Baptist pictures three shells --- the shell is the symbol for Baptism as historically it was used in the administering of that sacrament.

One sheild in the canopy of Isaiah listed above as "PX" represents the Greek letters "Rho" (P) and "Chi" (X). This symbol superimposing the letters P and X (the Chi Rho) is one of the earliest forms of the Christogram, the Monogram of Christ.
 
By design of the artist, the figures are all facing the chancel window, the subject of which is the Resurrection of Our Lord.
 
Starting in 1996, all of the Willet windows were sent back to their studio in Philadelphia for restoration. The restored windows were re-dedicated in 1998.


Condition of Window: Fair

Height: ~12'

Width: 6'

Type of Glass and Technique: Antique or Cathedral Glass, Lead Came

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