Category Dunhill Church Windows

Jan 26 2014

Our Lady’s window

Our Lady’s window

Our Lady's window, Detail 1 Our Lady's window, Detail 2 Our Lady's window, Detail 3 Our Lady's window, Detail 4

The first two images show Our Lady carrying a stem of lilies, the symbol of purity. Lilies have long been associated with Mary and are, perhaps, the most common Marian symbol. This particular lily is the Madonna Lily (Lilium Candidum) which is native to the Balkans and West Asia. In summer it produces fragrant white flowers which are yellow at the base. Also associated with Our Lady is the Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis), but that’s a different plant altogether.

In the image on the right is a monogram comprising the intertwined letters A and M which stand for “Ave Maria” (Hail Mary, in Latin). Unfortunately, the very bottom of the window, including the bottom half of the monogram, is partially blurred by protective glazing.

Jan 26 2014

The Sacred Heart Window

The Sacred Heart window

The Sacred Heart window, Detail 1 The Sacred Heart window, Detail 2 The Sacred Heart window, Detail 3 The Sacred Heart window, Detail 4

The image on the right is of the bottom of the Sacred Heart window, taken through a gap in the pinnacle of the altar – it’s the only way to photograph it without a ladder! It bears a monogram comprising the intertwined letters I, H, and S. IHS is a type of Christogram – a combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ and traditionally used as a Christian symbol.

The first three letters of the name Jesus (in Greek) are iota, eta, and sigma These are the 9th, 7th, and 18th letters of the Greek alphabet, respectively. In Greek capital letters they are written as I, H, and Σ. The first two have been adopted as the I and H of the English alphabet. The Σ is equivalent to the English letter S and has the same sound.

In short, then, IHS represents the first three letters of the Greek version of the name Jesus. At least, that’s how it started out. Later, IHS was taken to mean Iesus Hominum Salvator (“Jesus, Saviour of men” in Latin) or “I Have Suffered”.

Jan 26 2014

The West Gable Windows

The West Gable Windows

East gable window
There are three windows in the west gable. They are difficult to photograph as a group as they are partially hidden by the main altar or by the sanctuary lamp, depending on where you are standing. The three figures in the windows are, from left to right, Our Lady, the Sacred Heart, and Saint Joseph.
The image may be enlarged by clicking on it and each window may be viewed separately using the menu on the left.

Jan 26 2014

Dunhill Church Windows

The Stained-Glass Windows of Sacred Heart Church, Dunhill

If you are wondering why we are showing you these windows when you can see them in the flesh any Sunday, then you obviously don’t live in the U.S.A., or Australia, or Little Puddlington on Sea. Even if you go to church in Dunhill seven days a week, you may never have taken the time to look closely at the windows and so you may see them here for the very first time. Even if you have studied the windows, it is difficult to appreciate their beauty from the floor of the church or by climbing up onto the window ledges – we know!!

The various window images can be accessed from the menu on the left. They can all be enlarged by clicking on the images and it is then that their true beauty unfolds.

Because of the sloping nature of the site, the church was built with a reversed orientation so that the main door of the church faces east rather than west. The order in which the windows occur in the menu is as follows: We begin with the main window in the west gable, above the altar, and then turn left through the south transept, the south wall of the nave, the north wall of the nave, the north transept and, finally, the east gable window above the main door.

Before you embark on your journey through the stained-glass windows of Dunhill church, take a look at the window below. It is by the famous Harry Clarke (1889 to 1931) who was undoubtedly Ireland’s greatest stained glass artist. It depicts St. Brendan meeting Judas. Unfortunately, we do not know who made Dunhill church’s windows, but we know it wasn’t Harry Clarke. Click the image to zoom in.
Brendan and Judas