Holy Trinity's Windows

	First Day In this window a bright shaft of light breaks through the dark blue. “…and God divided the light from the darkness…”
	Second Day “And God made the firmament and divided the waters.” The heaven arches in a dome of blue over the waters of earth below.
	Third Day “…And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed…and the tree yielding fruit.” This window pictures the abundance of God’s creation on earth with forms of flower, fruit and seed seen in colors of spring, summer and fall.
	Fourth Day “And God made two great lights…one to rule the day and one to rule the night…” One fiery bright with warming rays, the other cool light waxing and waning with the tides and cycles of life.
	Fifth Day “And God said, “Let the Waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that hath life, and fowl that may fly above…” A pattern of wings and fins, flying and swimming through air and water makes a dance of flowing shapes in this window.
	Sixth Day “And God made the beast of the earth after his kind…and God created man in his own image.” This window depicts a radiant sun with man receiving earth’s bounty with outstretched arms. A few animals appear brightly colored against verdant green, blue, and purple mountains.
	Seventh Day “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested….” This window forms a pattern of symmetry and repose. The colors from the six days of creation come together to surround the while flower—a symbol of wholeness and innocence.
	The Fall of Man In the lush Garden of Eden the serpent is coiled around the Tree of Knowledge. The hand of Adam reaches for the forbidden fruit.
	The Flood Pictured here is the Ark upon the flooding water. A cloud pours forth rain but the Ark is coming into a clear sky and the dove is seen flying out to find dry land.
	The Rainbow The dove returns with the olive branch. God placed a rainbow in the heavens and said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature.”
	Abraham Upon the blood red altar is the sacrificial ram—first sign of The Sacrifice as Abraham made his choice before God and Isaac was saved. Written upon the stark desert mountains is the name Israel. Beginning with Father Abraham, the Hebrews become as one people, chosen by God to follow and obey His Word.
	Joseph Joseph is seen standing with arms outstretched in his many colored coat. On the one side the grain is ripe and ready for harvest and on the other side it is barren and dry—an image of the dream which Joseph interpreted for Pharaoh. Joseph’s true insight took him eventually into power and prestige with the Egyptians. Much later when the Hebrews were made slaves, it set the stage for Moses and the Exodus.
	Moses Seen in this window is the bush that burned but was not consumed. On either side are the tablets with the Ten Commandments and the rod with the serpent entwined. This window’s pattern suggests in its straight lines the directness of God’s message and the authority of the law and commands which the Hebrews must obey if they are to come to the Promised Land.
	David the King In contrast to the drama of the previous windows, this window suggests a time of ending and beginning. The lights of the seven-branched menorah, the bright Star of David over the green land and the Tree of Jesse with its white flowers foretell of the Messiah’s coming.

The New Testament

	Annunciation “And the angel said unto her…behold, thou shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.” The colors in the window bring together the blue heaven with the earth’s purple—symbol of faith and humility. The wind of the Spirit is sensed in the swirling lines surrounding the form of Mary bowing before the angel.
	Advent The feel is entirely different in this window. It is a time of quiet waiting. The new life is contained in the earth and in the womb. Mary—the central image in blue—sits in deep reflection within a place enclosed. With her is the seed and the white flower kept in the stillness of the dark, hidden place, in preparation for the Coming.
	Christmas The birth of the Son and the rising sun arrive in the dark of the deepest night. The birth is reverently watched over by two kneeling angels. Christ is born!
	Epiphany Central to this window is the shining star. The Epiphany or going forth is expressed by the many colors going forth and out in all directions. God’s message is to be shown forth into the world. But this is felt before hand by the wise men who see the star in the night and recognize its special light which shines forth greater than all other stars.
	Lent Christ is crucified upon the cross, leaving instructions to His followers to take the Cup with the Wine which is His blood and drink it in remembrance of Him, and to take the bread which is His body and eat it in remembrance of Him. In this window the dark colors entwine about the Cup—blood red wine dark with the grapes and grain of this earth.
	Easter Christ is risen! The glad tidings sound forth across the lands. In this window the white cross is like four lilies or four trumpets pointed out to the world. Behind the cross is the form of the butterfly—symbol of the Resurrection. Surrounding are the bright colors of spring flowers with green shoots springing up.
	Pentecost In this window we see the image of the Dove descending with tongues of fire. There are seven flames for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. At the Feast of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles in tongues of fire, and the flame has become the symbol of the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Evangelists

	Matthew The four Apostles have traditionally been pictured in their symbolic form, winged and with halo. Matthew the Scribe is seen writing with his quill.
	Mark Mark is portrayed in the form of the lion. The lion, King of Beasts, is a powerful image and the fiery colors used in this window help express this.
	Luke In this window the Ox is white with a blood red halo. The Apostle Luke was a physician and the ox is a beast of burden. The fresh green color reflects the fact that the blood of sacrifice is healing and brings new growth.
	John The Eagle is a bird that flies high above the earth and has eyes that can see a great distance. John’s gift was a sense of the spiritual dimensions to the Gospel story.

Other Themes

	Hungary This window contains the Hungarian flag and trailing leaves and roses, a favorite theme in much of Hungary’s folk art.
	St. Stephen St. Stephen was the first king of Hungary. As King and Saint he is much loved by his countrymen. These two Hungarian windows are for the many Hungarians who are members of Holy Trinity.
	St. Therese—The Little Flower The flowers of St. Therese and the white crucifix are depicted in this window. They reflect her faith and her great simplicity.
	Canterbury Cross This window shows the Canterbury Cross in the center with the Anglican Shield on the right and the St. Augustine Shield on the left.
	Christ the King This window displays the Crown—symbol of Christ the King. The Alpha and Omega signs appear also, as Christ said,” I am the Alpha and Omega…the beginning and the end.”

Some added notes about the stained glass:
I think it might be helpful to say something about the glass itself which is a special type called faceted slab glass. This is relatively new, beginning in France in the 1930’s and gradually gaining prominence in this country after World War II. By the 1960’s it had become an art form utilized by most large stained glass studios along with the traditional leaded glass. Slab glass has been increasing in use and popularity ever since. The glass is about one inch think and is held together by a material that looks like concrete but is actually an epoxy filled with sand and is very strong. As you can see the spaces between the glass can be made wide or thin. In designing for slab glass the black spaces between the glass become an important part of the total concept and can be used to express subject matter in combination with the glass. The unique richness and sparkle of slab glass is due to its depth and the faceting (chipping) of the surface creating a jewel-like effect. The greater the amount of epoxy space the more the richness of the glass is revealed. The glass has an intensity which requires a setting of darkness to offset its brilliance. The glass seems to glow with a light of its own on the darkest day and even after the sun sets.

I hope these window ill give you joy as they have given my in creating them. My deepest wish is that they will provide a continuing source of inspiration connecting you with the Faith.

Sincerely,

Joan Hector
Hector Glass Studio
Three Rivers, Michigan

November 9, 1986