THE GREAT EAST WINDOW AT THE UNVERSITY OF SUDBURY
Constituted of some 1180 pieces of glass and measures 72 inches wide by 60 inches high, the composition holds a multitude of symbols representing the Jesuit tradition and the mission of the University of Sudbury.
The centerpiece is the emblem of the University of Sudbury, based on the coat of arms borne by the founder of the Society of Jesus, Saint Ignatius Loyola during his student days at the University of Paris. It recalls the decision by the Jesuits of Sudbury in 1913 to establish Sacred Heart College. Now continued in the University of Sudbury
The shield is halved, one side for the Loyola family, the other for the saint's Onaz ancestors. On the left, which is blue, a white cauldron is suspended between two white wolves facing each other. Below them are two crossed swords. On the right, seven red stripes pass obliquely from left to right against a white background. The crest is a Knight's helmet in profile facing left, and on its left and right sides respectively are a white and green trillium and a blue and white fleur-de-lys. At the bottom of the shield are crossed boughs of laurel and maple leaves.
Blue and red ribbons encircling the shield carry in Latin the name of the University and its motto: "A flame of glowing radiance."
The wolves and cauldron represent the Loyola name (lobo y ola) and stand for generosity and hospitality. The helmet and swords represent the chivalrous virtues of courage, courtesy, honour and dedication; the seven red stripes evoke the sacrifice of the seven Onaz brothers who gave their lives as Crusaders. The trillium and fleur-de-lys recall the University's French-Canadian origin in Ontario. The laurel and maple leaves, as well as the motto, which is taken from the Gospel of Saint John, symbolize the ideal of academic excellence in Canada.
As seen from the outside, the upper right hand corner holds the medicine wheel of the Native people, an ancient symbol used for healing and to promote understanding.
Centered upon a green, uneven circle representing the earth, are, in the four traditional colours, segments representing the four races of humanity that live on the earth and their ideals: red for renewal, yellow for relationships, black for the building of inner strength and white for courage and inner peace. The colours are placed in order; red in the east (sunrise) yellow in the south (high noon), black in the west (late evening), and white in the north The four feathers, in the traditional colours stand for balance and harmony.
Here the medicine wheel recalls the beginnings of the Native Studies department at the University of Sudbury in 1970 as well as the institution's mission to help promote native culture
The lower right shows a modern world map being consumed by flames. It alludes to how on his graduation from the University of Paris in 1535, Loyola changed the Basque name he had been given at baptism, Inigo to Ignatius, a name derived from the Latin ignis, (flame), and evoking the Lucan gospel passage in which Jesus, who had come to bring the fire of love to earth, wished his disciples had already set it blazing.
The world ablaze represents the ideals of dedication and zeal, which are held by faculty, and which inspire graduating students to go and transform society, worldwide.
The lower left is filled with the symbols of the literary and performing arts as well as the pure and social sciences. These have always been at the heart of Jesuit humanism. Here they attest to the University of Sudbury's contribution to the mission of the Laurentian Federation.
Finally the upper left hand corner holds a rendering of the Jesuit seal as depicted in fresco on a wall of the room in Rome, where Saint Ignatius worked on the Ratio studiorum, the plan of studies to be used in Jesuit Colleges. It is a golden and radiating sun on which are inscribed in black, IHS (iota, eta, sigma), the first three greek letters of the name of Jesus with a cross, a loving heart and the three nails of the crucifixion.
The seal is meant to recall the Bible passage in which Saint Paul celebrates the name of Jesus as far above the heavens as the sun, so that all beings in Heaven, on earth, and in the underworld should bend the knee. The heart and the three nails represent the devotion with which Jesuits should practice their three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to the greater glory of God.
The Canisius door, and hall,
are named after Saint Peter Canisius (1521-1597) a Dutch Jesuit scholar.
The author of many theological works, he founded two Universities (Prague
and Fribourg) and was professor in four more. Canonized and declared a Doctor
of the Church in1925, he is one of the patrons on the Jesuit educational
system.
This was commissioned as a gift. It is the same sun from the Canisius Hall stained glass. It has four hanging letters (ADMG). The letters are the Latin symbols for "FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD"
The stained glass is divided in two. The theme is based on Genesis 1:3-4. God said, 'Let there be light, ' and there was light. God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness.
This theme is an appropriate background to the motto of the University of Sudbury: Lucerna ardens et lucens (a flame of glowing radiance). I was also inspired by the idea that St. Ignatius had asked his exercitants to ponder the subtle difference between a drop of water falling on a sponge versus a drop falling on a stone The difference is the discernment between the power of Christ's love and the power of evil. This is written in the seventh rule of the second week of the Exercises: "In the case of those going from good to better, the good angel touches the soul gently, lightly, and sweetly, like a drop of water going into a sponge. The evil spirit touches it sharply, with noise and disturbance, like a drop of water falling onto a stone." St. Ignatius was often consoled by tears in his meditations. Tears have been used to represent the drops of water.
The borders have three explanations:
1-- Ignatius kept a journal and all references to Christ he wrote in red and all references to Mary he wrote in blue
2-- The red and blue glass came originally from the University of Sudbury round chapel. Thanks to Brother Roger Viau S.J., the glass was passed on to be used for other good purposes. Red and blue are the official colours of the University of Sudbury.
3-- The colour red is the colour
of St. James, the first name of the recipient of this gift.
It was painted by Brother Andrea Pozzo, SJ in the 1690's. Pozzo (1642-1709) came to Rome from Trent in 1680 and had great influence as a painter, writer, designer and expert - artist in perspective.
He is responsible for the design and decoration of many churches in Italy, Austria and Eastern Europe. He died in Vienna after finishing the ceiling of the Jesuit Church there.
Dimensions
21.5" x 30.5" (546mm x 762mm)
$1400 Can. or $890 US
