The west window captures the scope of Jesus’ “Great Commission.” (Mt 28:18-20).

To highlight certain parts of these windows, secondary sections have been deliberately diminished in brightness.

The artist described his motivation for this work: “Now that the Church is experiencing a renascence of conscience directed toward the necessity of actually entering into the daily life of the world as it is today, into every reality, I felt that we must present some of the stereotypes that will serve as symbols of TODAY.”* The top half of the three panels of this window depict symbols of the priest’s life and ministry; along the bottom are buildings representing the Nations of the World.

TOP OF CENTRAL PANEL

The symbols in this part of the window depict the Trinity and the Church. A seminarian needs to nurture a deep relationship with the three persons of the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who send him and accompany him as a priest. His vocation is discovered in and nurtured by the Church.

To the upper left is the hand of Christ, pointing the way as He gives the commandment to the Eleven: “Go, make disciples of all Nations” (see Mt 28:18-20). In the upper right is a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Between the Hand and the Dove is the Eye of God the Father (in blue glass), completing the image of the Blessed Trinity.

The Church is shown as a Ship below the pointing finger of Christ (in the lower right); in its sails are the Greek letters Alpha and Omega.

TOP OF LEFT PANEL

A white stole surrounds a shell. The stole is a narrow band of cloth which a priest wears around his neck, a sign of the power which the priest receives through the sacrament of Holy Orders to act in the person of Jesus Christ. The shell and drops of water are symbols of the Sacrament of Baptism, the beginning of sacramental life in the Church.

TOP OF RIGHT PANEL

A golden priest’s stole surrounds symbols of the priest’s ministry: a Bible, the source of preaching and teaching, and a Host and Chalice, signs of the Eucharist, which extends the work of salvation through time.

BOTTOM OF LEFT PANEL

The Taj Mahal is a funeral mausoleum and burial site for the wife of a wealthy Indian ruler; it was made from white marble. In Chinese the word “pagoda” means “eight-sided tower.” These two buildings represent India and the Far East. The igloos and the green-blue icebergs (right) represent the Arctic.

BOTTOM OF CENTRAL PANEL

The New York city skyline and the United Nations Building represent not only the United States, but all other areas of the world not shown.

BOTTOM OF RIGHT PANEL

The Eiffel Tower in Parish, France (left) and the Cathedral of Cologne, Germany (center) represent Western Europe. The Church of St. Basil, Moscow (right), represents Eastern Europe.

The artist depicted a dark cloud looming over Russia. At the time this window was made, the Cold War was at its height. In his notes the artist wrote that this part of the window could also refer to “the yet unconverted ... though in that case there may be such a cloud over the whole world.” Huts (below) represent “that great continent of unrest and growth, Africa.”* 

The space age, with all it implies of possibilities, is indicated by the missile and the ‘Gemini’ capsule. The future, too, must be won for God.”*