The Clerestory Windows

The North Clerestory Windows
The first six windows are made of single large sheets of tinted Tiffany glass; the size of these sheets is unusual. At least some of these windows—the second and third—are by the Louis Comfort Tiffany studios; although the glass was occasionally sold to other studios. The opalescent shading is characteristic of Tiffany's glass. The six windows at the west end of the sanctuary are quite old; the other nine were completed by Connick and Associates in 1953 and carry out the original plan.

The top of each window contains a distinct cross. The Barbee Cross with the fishhook ends suggests "fishers of men" (Mark 1:17); the Tau Cross suggests the Advent season and eternal life. The Fleurette Cross with fleur-de-lis ends, represents purity and the Holy Trinity; the IX Monogram, the first two Greek letters in the name of Jesus Christ. The Chi Rho Cross is a cross superimposed with the first two letters of "Christ" in Greek. The Maltese Cross possesses eight points which are said to correspond to the Beatitudes. The Jerusalem Cross, or the Cross Potent, resembles four ancient crutches or four Tau crosses joined, while the Cross of Triumph represents the triumphant cross of Christ's victory over the world. The Flamant Cross, a flaming cross, for religious zeal.

The South Clerestory Windows
These windows, by the Connick Studios, continue the motif of variations of the cross begun in the Tiffany windows on the north side of the sanctuary. From the west end, we find: Peter's Cross, the cross of his martyrdom (for he was crucified upside down); Cross with crown of thorns, the passion symbol; Andrew's Cross, the cross of his martyrdom; Cross Pattee, representing the four Gospels, the four major prophets or the four cardinal virtues; Patriarchal Cross, carried by the Patriarchs, the upper bar representing the inscription placed over the head of Christ; Cross Crosslet, four Latin crosses joined, proclaiming the spread of Christianity to the four corners of the earth; the Four Pheons Cross, representing the fiery darts of the wicked; Cross Ansata, the cross of life; Julian's Cross, the missionary cross; Latin Cross and Crown, proclaiming eternal life through the cross; Celtic Cross with the circle representing eternity; Cross Cantonee representing Christ and the four Evangelists; Cross Potent Quadrate, or Chad's Cross; Cross Fitchee, carried by the crusaders (the center bar being a sword), the point to be thrust into the ground; and the Cross Frettee, suggesting the five wounds of our Lord.

The Care and Restoration
of Our Stained Glass Windows
Glass itself is a relatively enduring and stable compound which holds up well under a variety of temperatures and conditions. The windows, however, are fitted together in complex structures with various fittings of lead, copper and other metals that interact with the environment, including pollutants, and which are stressed by the weight of the glass itself over time.

Care of the windows varies with the type of glass. All stained glass collects dirt and fine debris. On the south side of Chicago, coal dust dulls many of the windows and collects particularly in the many layers of the Tiffany glass. Regular cleaning of the glass is not advised because it could cause deterioration particularly of painted surfaces, but when a window is repaired or restored, it is thoroughly cleaned. The Tiffany windows are also subject to greater sagging and bowing due to the greater weight of large sheets of layered glass, as opposed to Connick's smaller pieces. Restoration of a Tiffany window almost always includes repair to both the braces and the lead caming which bear the weight of the window.

The controversial use of protective covering over stained glass has been largely discredited, especially in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Studies have shown that huge temperature and humidity variations in the space between art glass and its protective covering can actually melt leading , while condensation can cause unseen and serious water-damage to painted glass and wooden window frames. In areas where vandalism is a serious concern, window coverings must be carefully ventilated to prevent greater problems.

Painted detail, even when fired at high temperatures, deteriorates over time. In some cases, restorative repainting is desirable. Some preservationists advocate the use of a separate overlay of repainted glass so that the work of the original artists is not altered by later repair.

Finally, a window is only as good as the frame that keeps it upright and secure. All of our windows are in the original wood frames which date back to the building's construction in 1906, and almost all of them require replacement of rotted sections. The rose window was extensively restored in 1996. Over the next several years, we hope to remove, clean and spot-repair all of our windows, restoring or replacing their frames as needed. Donations to the Window Fund are welcomed.

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