MOTHER OF THE CHURCH

This window is centered on an icon of Mary holding her son Jesus, who looks at his mother with tender affection. Mary looks at us, who are the body of Christ, the Church, with the assurance of her maternal love and protection. At the end of Vatican II Pope Paul VI declared, what had been in the heart of the Church since its inception, Mary the Mother of the Church.

Radiating from the top of the icon are four yellow orange small circles that represent the four hallmarks of the Church that Christ founded: ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC. Radiating outward from the icon are twenty small light blue beads that represent the twenty mysteries of the rosary, which is a contemplative prayer on the life of Jesus and Mary on earth and their glory in heaven. At the end of the twelve yellow "beams" of light are twelve royal blue circles each containing a bishop's miter and shepherd's staff. These represent the twelve apostles, on which the church was founded by Christ (foundation stones of the New Jerusalem - Book of Revelations.) The top bishop's miter is white indicating Peter’s (the Pope's) primacy among the Apostles - the first bishops. In between each Apostolic circle is a tongue of fire representing the Holy Spirit, which God the Father and the Son sent to empower and authorize the Apostles in their service as shepherds of the Church. On top of each apostolic circle are two small yellow circles one representing the priest and the other representing the deacon both of who assist the bishop in the ordained ministry of service in the Church.

Radiating beyond the priest and deacons are twelve yellow orange circles each containing three smaller red circles. These twelve yellow orange circles represent the lay faithful. The three red circles in each represents the Trinitarian life of grace abiding in each of the faithful. In between each circle of the faithful are twelve stars the represent the guardian angels assigned to each of the faithful. The large red circle that encompasses all the radiating symbols represents Charity, the love of God that binds the Church together.