Stained Glass Windows

The Stained Glass Windows of St. Francis Xavier…

The stained glass windows of St. Francis Xavier Church are among the most ornate and beautiful in all of Northern Michigan. Designed and crafted by the renowned Emil Frei Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri, these windows showcase exceptional artistry and craftsmanship.

You can find the company’s signature in the lower left corner of the Nativity Window, located above the entrance to the Gathering Space. Remarkably, the Emil Frei Glass Company is still in operation today ( https://www.emilfrei.com/ ), carrying on a tradition of excellence that spans generations.

Although detailed records of our specific windows were lost over time, the company was able to identify the artist based on the distinctive style of the work. They estimate that the windows were installed between 1910 and 1915, shortly after the church building was completed in 1908.

The windows remain a treasured part of our parish’s history and a beautiful testament to the faith and artistry of those who came before us.

The Windows (& some Paintings)

The following information was gathered mostly from Fr. Wilbert Hegener, O.F.M. A small amount is from the “Dictionary of Saints” by John Delaney.

From left to right around the reredos:

  • Beneath each of the four evangelists — Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — is a creature patterned after the four living creatures mentioned in Ezekiel and in Revelations 4:7. Since the 4th century they have been used as symbols of the four evangelists.
  • St. Matthew is pictured as the creature with the human face, because his gospel begins with the human geneology of Jesus.
  • St. Mark is pictured as the creature with the lion’s head, because his gospel starts with John the Baptist in the wilderness.
  • St. Luke is pictured as the creature with the ox head, because his gospel begins with Zechariah in the Temple, and the ox was the traditional sacrifice.
  • St. John is pictured as the creature with the eagle head, because his gospel “soars” theologically above the others.

High above both sides of the center aisle:

  • Paintings of the Twelve Apostles

In the choir loft:

  • Left side: King David
  • Right side: St. Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church, patron of music. Died 604.

Left side, front to back of church:

Right side, back to front of church: