This window contains varied images depicting the Church. On the right top is the papal tiara symbolizes the Pope’s authority as the earthly head of the Church as the “father of kings, governor of the world, and Vicar of Christ”. While no longer worn by popes, it was in a traditional symbol of the papacy in the era before the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
The Church is symbolized as a ship (lover right) with a cross on its sail as a vessel of salvation, protecting the faithful from the “storms” of the world. This imagery comes from biblical stories like Noah’s Ark and Jesus calming the sea, and it represents the Church as a safe-haven from the dangers and troubles of the world and as a ship on a long journey, guiding individuals and the community toward their ultimate goal of salvation and heavenly rest.
On the left pane, four streams flowing from the Cross (the throne of Christ who is head of the church) represent in Christian iconography the restoration of the four rivers of the Garden of Eden as described in Genesis 2:10-14. These rivers symbolize the richness, abundance, and completeness of God’s creation that sustained life in Eden. These four streams flowing to the four corners of the Earth are also interpreted as the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) spreading the Christian message to all.
Lily-like flowers and palm branches are interwoven in the design and represent the fruits of the life-giving water which flows from the Cross. The lilies symbolize resurrection, while palm branches represent triumph and victory of the holy Cross. The pair of golden trumpets, entwined with the foliage, likely represents proclamation and the spreading of the word of God.
The very top image of a cluster of grapes references Jesus’s metaphor of the “true vine” and his followers as branches. It connects grapes to the idea of believers, the Church, being nourished by Christ to produce spiritual fruit. The grape/wine imagery relates also to the Eucharist.