ST. THOMAS MORE

This Catholic stained glass window is a reflection on St. Thomas More. Thomas More was born on7 February 1478 and died on 6 July 1535. He was an English lawyer, author, and statesman who in his lifetime gained a reputation as a leading Renaissance humanist scholar, and occupied many public offices, including Lord Chancellor from1529 to 1532. More coined the word "utopia", a name he gave to the ideal, imaginary island nation whose political system he described in Utopia, published in 1516. He was beheaded in 1535 when he refused to sign the Act of Supremacy that declared King Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England. In 1935, four hundred years after More's death, Pope Pius XI canonized him in the Roman Catholic Church. St. Thomas More was declared Patron Saint of politicians and statesmen by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

At the top of the window is a dove surrounded by tongues of fire. The dove represents the Holy Spirit and the tongues of fire represent the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, which St. Thomas made fruitful use of. Below the central image are three ovals. The one on the left contains the crown of Martyrdom and two palm braches. The one on the right contains the Holy Eucharist. The central oval contains the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On top of the outer frame are seven fire-like winged shapes that represent the seven spirits (angels) of God that surround his throne in the book of Revelation.  The twenty light blue circles in the border around the window represent the twenty mysteries of the rosary, which is a contemplative prayer of the life of Jesus, Mary. The eighteen yellow, orange, red diamond like shapes in between the rosary beads represent the angels assigned to help St. Thomas More in his writings and martyrdom.