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St. Patrick
Saint Patrick, the popular co-patron of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, with his hands joined in prayer for the children of Gael, is resplendent in green vestments, traditional color of Ireland.
Behind and above his head is the Flame, illustrative of Divine inspiration and symbolic of the Paschal Fire lit by Patrick at Tara and never extinguished. The Latin inscription, legationem furgor non usurpo, is the saint's motivation for his zealous work of converting Ireland. It may be translated, "I do not take it upon myself, I have a Divine appointment." Dimond designs on either side of St. Patrick contrast the shamrock and the Trinity.
In the medallion of the left, St. Patrick is shown imploring Prudence Aengus at Cashel to embrace Catholicism. The opposite medallion portrays the saint baptizing Eitne ad Eidelm, two Irish princesse. The medallion in the base depicts St. Patrick returning from Rome about 440 A.D. with relics given to him by Pope Leo the Great. Part of this treasure is purportedly in the care of the Abbot of the Basilica Sanctorum, which later became the Cathedral of the See of Connacht.
The shields include the renowned bell of St. Patrick, now in the National Museum in Dublin; the Shrine built in the 11th century to house the bell; the heraldic arms of the four Irish provinces, all of whom shared in the missionary work of the saint; a harp, a hand raised in blessing, and three crowns symbolic of purity.
Saint Patrick, the "Apostle of Ireland" established the Primatial See at Armagh in 444, thus firmly rooting the Church in Ireland.
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St. Francis
St. Francis of Assisi is clad in the traditional havit of the Franciscan Fathers which he founded. Above his head is the motif recalling his stigmata, surrounded by the title, Sanctus Franciscus, Pater Seraphicus. Two small diamond shapes at either side of the foot of the main figure are symbolic of Frnacis' love for animals.
Although the dominant figure of this window is St. Francis, a major portion of the design is devoted to the Franciscan St. Junipero Serra, founder and first President of the Alta California Mission chain.
The medallion to the left of St. Francis, shows St. Junipero Serra blessing his last Mission, San Buenaventura, in 1782. The medallion on the right depicts his raising the cross at San Juan Capistrano in 1776. The bell tower in the medallion at the base of the window illustrates the entire Franciscan missionary effort. Within it are inscribed the three vows taken by every friar: povery, obedience, chastity.
Contained within the four shields are Padre Serra's brievary, a Spanish galleon, a buffalo and an ox, all reminiscent of the missionary era.
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St. Charles Borromeo
St. Charles Borromeo is regarded as the patron saint of seminaries. In his right hand he carries a holy nail and in his left hand he holds a taper. He stands barefoot with a coil of rope around his nec recalling the story that during the plague, he walked barefoot through the city of Milan with a noos around his neck and carrying a cross offering himself for the transgressions of the people. St. Charles was among the first to put into practice the decrees of the Council of Trent regarding the establishment of seminaries in each diocese.
In the medallion on te right of of St. Charles, he is shown administrating to the plague-sicken people of Milan. The medallion on the left depicts St. Charles distributing Holy Communion to the young St. Aloysius, patron of youth, who died as a result of caring for the victims of an epidemic. The base of the window commemorates the establishment of the Congregation of the Oblates in 1578. The society was an institution of secular priests grouped together for the better administration of the See of Milan.
Above the head of the saint is the cardinal's hat and tassels. The pastoral staff acknowledges St. Charles' earlier positions as abbot and bishop. The metropolitan cross of a prince of the Church suggests his office as Archbishop of Milan.
As the patron saint of the Carmelite Order, the inclusion of arms of the Carmelites call to mind the great interest the Cardinal had for that society. The badge of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, with its crosslet and four smaller crosses, signify the five wounds of Our Savior. A portable organ symbolizes the great love the saint exhibited for the Gregorian Chant.
At either side of the main figure are the words, Ecce Venio, translated "Behold I come," the last utterance of St. Charles. In the border of the base is a water pitcher and a loaf of bread, symbolic of austerity. The emblem humilitas, surrounded by a crown comes from the Borromeo coat of arms.
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Blessed John Duns Scotus
The great protagonist of the Immaculate Conception was born in 1270. His contemporaries called him Johannes Duns, after the medieval practice of calling people by their Christian name followed by their place of origin. This suggests the he came from Duns, in Berwickshire, Scotland. They year of his birt and his death (1308) are included in the execution fot eh window.
Scotus is shown dressed in his Franciscan habit, holding books and his rosary. Although it was almost 600 years after his death before the Immaculate Conception was defined by pope Pius IX, Scotus developed a complex argument for the existance of God, and argued for the Imaculate Conception of Mary.
The panel on the left of the main figure, portrays the traditional view of the Imaculate Conception surrounded by the words, Regina sine labe originali concept, ora pro nobis, translated "Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us." Words on the Miraculous Medal are a connection to the Vicentians who originally ran the Seminary.
The opposite medallion shows the Apparition of Our Blessed Lady to Saint Bernardette at Lourdes, where the Blessed Mother identified herself by the words "I am the Immaculate Conception." Connecting the two medallions is the symbol of the Religious of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, donors of the window.
In the base, the panel depicts the meeting of Anna and Joachim, parents of the Virgin Mary.
Scotus is considered one of the most important Franciscan theologians and was the founder of Scotism, a special form of Scholasticism. In the base of the coat-of-arms of Oxford University, where Scotus taught prior to 1300, appears the Franciscan motto, Deus Meus et Omnia, "My God and My All."
Other symbols include the Burning Bush, symbol of virginity, and a crown pierced by rays of light and garland of roses, symbolical of the Queen of Virgins. The motif of the Religious Sacred Heart of Mary, the donors of the window, which can be seen in the oval shape at the knees of Scotus, is balance by a Mater Purissima design.
The apex of the window features a shield with the seal of the University of Paris, where Scotus won his doctorate, Doctor Subtilis (Subtle Doctor) and began lecturing towards the end of 1302. The words Theology, Philosophy, Mathematics, and Physics recall the various fields in which he excelled.
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Saint Augustine
The great Bishop of Hippo is seen robed in his episcopal vestments and depicted as the young man of 42, the age at which he succeeded to his tiny African see. St. Augusting is holding his crozier, on which a design of a pierced hart is imposed. The heart's crown denotes Augustine's title as "Doctor of Grace."
Above and behid the head of the Saint is a dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit, to which Augustine had a great devotion. The shell and the sea waves call to mind the famous story of the Saint and a Child at the seashore. St. Augustine was walking along the seashore trying to understand the mistery of the Holy Trinity when he noticed a small boy usng a sea shell to carry the water from the ocean to pour it into a small hole of the sand. Augustine approached the boy and asked, " My boy, what are you doing?" "I am trying to bring all the sea into this hole," the boy replied with a sweet smile. "But it is impossible, my dear child, the hole cannot contain all the water," said Augustine. The boy paused in his work, stood up, look into the eyes of the Saint, and replied, "It is no more impossible than to comprehend the immensity of the mystery of the Holy Trinity with your small intelligence." Some say that it was Christ Child himself who appeared to the Saint to remnd him of his limits of human understanding before the great mysteries of Faith.
Augustine's titles of Bishop of Hippo, Doctor and Confessor are incorporated into the design of the window.
The left medallion portrays St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, baptizing Augustine. His mother, St. Monica, is present looking on.
The right medallion depicts St. Ambrose placing the mitre on Augustine's head as symbol of his episcopal ordination.
The depictions in the shields include a torch, symbolic of Augustine's zeal; and egale, apropos of Augustine's title of "Eagle of Doctors," because he was considered the greatest Doctor of the Catholic world; and a star at the base which recalls the phrase, "The Bright Star in the firmament of the Church." Two small shapes close to the main figure, a mirror and a stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, denote truth and law. The Scourage, the Cross, the Beehive and the Tower are symbolic of penance, piety, supernatural zeal and strength in the Lord.
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The Great Commission of the Apostles
This large three-piece window is located over the Chapel's main entrance and was a gift from the Most Rev. John J. Cantwell, Archbishop of Los Angeles. It is referred to as a twin light window since the two main sections are separated by a cement pillar. The central theme is the Commision ofthe Apostles by Christ to preach the Gospel to the world.
In th left panel, our Lord is shown readingthe Commission fro the New Testament which is open to Matthew 28:19. The words, Eutes docente omnes gentes, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" are clearly visible. Each of the Apostles can be clearly dentified by the particular instrument that he holds, denoting his calling or manner of his martyrdom.
In the left panel is the coat-of-arms of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The coat-of-arms of Archbishop Cantwell appears in the right panel. In both shields, the artist achieved two primary color spots in the design and underscorded two whom the Seminary owes its existence. In the apex of the left window is the loaf of bread, and in the right window a fish, both symbolic of the Holy Eucharist.
An inscription at the base of the twin windows calls to mind the debt owed by the Archdiocese to the Irish clergy. The words read, Ad Dei gloria hibernaeque honorem, "To the glory of God and honor of Ireland".
The small six-point star window above represents the foundation of the well-known Celtic Chapel at Cashel by King Cormac MacCarthy of Desmond in 1127. This historic shrine is connected with the history of Cantwell family.
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St. Thomas Aquinas
The great patron of Sacred Theology is the central figure of this window. A prie-dieu, a narrow, desk-like kneeling prayer bench is depicted in the foreground as exemplary of the source of Thomas' great genius. Over the saint's head is a monstrance symbolic of his love for the Holy Eucharist. The words, Haec requies mea in saeculum, "This is my rest forever," (Psalm 131) are purportedly the last words spoken by the saint. In his left hand, resting on the prie-dieu, is the Summa Theologiae. Although unfinished, the Summa is considered one of the classics of the history of philosphy.
The thin figures of agels in front of the kneeler bring to mind the terms "Doctor Angelicus" and "Lumen Ecclesiae." The shield of the King St. Louis IX of France, patron of St. Thomas, connects the two titles. Two small diamond shaped pieces of green class, containing the orb and crown, are symbols of the Kinship of Christ, the thesis for which St. Thomas earned his doctorate degree.
The right medallion portrays St. Thomas at the feet of his great Magister, St. Albert. The left medallion shows St. Albert the Great pursuing his many activities in the natural sciences, a field in which he excelled all his contemporaries. Pope Gregory X, in the base of the medallion is ordering St. Thomas to defend the teaching of the Church against the heretical Greeks. The title over the left medallion, "Doctor Universalis," applies to St. Albert.
The motifs of the shields in the background include: The Benedictine cross, reminiscent of the years St. Thomas spend at Monte Cassino, a Benedictine monastery. The coat-of-arms of the Dominican Order, a variation of the family seal of the parents of St. Dominic. The coat-of-arms of Pope LeoXIII, who proclamed St. Thomas the patron of Catholic Schools. The coat-of-arms of Pope Urbano IV, who called St. Thomas to the Papal Court. The Dominican motif, Domini canis, which means "watchdog of the Lord", veritas (truth) and initials OFP (Order of Friars of Preaching), in whose service St. Thomas lived and died.
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St. Columbanus
The dominant figure in this window is the great Irish missionary, Saint Columban, an exemplar man in the hearly medieval Europe. The tile Abbas Bobiensis (Abbot of Bobbio) can be seen in the apex above the saint's head. A pastoral staff or crozier, with its crook turned inward, identified the saint's ecclesiastical status of Abbot. The abbatial mitre is depicted over the staff. In his hands, St. Columban is holding part of his mamous letter to Pope Gregory with the quotation, Nos enim toti hiberni ultimi habitatores mundi, S.S. Petri... Pauli discipuli sumus, "We indeed all Irish to the last inhabitants of the world are disciples of Saints Peter and Paul."
In the front medallion, St. Columban and his companions are shown embarking for the continent from Ireland in 580 A.D. The group landed first in England, then in Brittany, a cultural region in the north-west of France, and finally in the Vosges district of France where St. Columban founded the great Abbey at Luxeuil.
The base medallion commemorates the 25 years that St. Columban spent at Luxeuil, where he instituted the Laus Perennis, a perpetual service of praise to God, by which night and day the voices of the monks could be heard in an undending song. The right medallion depicts the founding of the Abbey of Bobbio at Milan, Italy, on a site donated by King Agilulf and Queen Theodolinda.
Other motifs depict: the coat-of-arms of the Province of Leinster, birthplace of the saint; th Lily of France with the word Luxeuil inscribed on it; a cup, a bell, a knife, an alabaster water vessel, and a repository containing relics bestowed on St. Columban by Pope Gregory I. At the feet of the saint is the heraldic wolfhound.
St. Columban died in 615, three years after the founding of the Abbey at Bobbio. This great saint and his successors exerted a determining and lasting influence on the civilization of Western Europe.
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St. John Vianney
The Saintly Parish Priest of Ars, was named the Patron of the Secular Clergy by Pope Pius X in 1905. The saint is portrayed in bright red vestments, symbolizing a poor man rich in spiritual attainment, and holding a covered chalice in his hands. Two diamond shaped symbols at either side of St. John bear the name by which he is known to the world, the Cure d'Ars. St. John Vianney was born at Dardilly near Lyon, France on May 8, 1786. His pastoral duties are exemplified by the shepherd's crozier and processional cross, a sign of great and deep faith.
In the apex of the window can be seen symbols of the Parochial Clergy, a Missale Romanum, a brievary, a pix and a chalice. The inscription above the saint's head reads, Facit mirabilia in vita Sua, "For wonderful things hath he done among his people" (Sirach 31:9).
The left medallion portrays a bishop, a priest and a nun kneeling at the feet of the Saint, to better hear his words of wisdom. In the medallion on the right, the Saint is giving his sacerdotal blessing to a lame flower seller. A blind man and a mother with an ailing child are also depicted. The medallion in the base shows St. John receiving the priestly imposition of hands from Bishop Simon Grenoble.
Other symbols depicted in the window include: a hand appearing to be ranting absolution and the inscription, Ego te absolve, "I absolve you;" a catechism, indicative of the Saint's long hours in the confessional and his preaching to young ad old alike; oil stocks, symbolizing the wrk of the priest among the sick and dying; an a black hat with two tassels, another emblem of secular clergy.
The remining items are the banner of his patron saint, St. John the Baptist; the balance and sword of St. Michael, on whose feast St. Jean Marie Vianney was born; and in the center are a lily and the initial "M", symbols of our Blessed Mother and the Saint's middle name.
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St. Vincent De Paul
Saint Vincent De Paul, the Universal Patron of Charity, is the central figure of this imposing window. Vincent is cradling one of the orphans left homeless by the plague in Paris. In the foreground is Marguerite Nasean, the first sister of Charity. It was this great Saint who founded the Vincentians or Lazarists Fathers in 1625. This community of secular priests came to the west with Bishop Thaddeus Amat. Archbishop John J. Cantwell entrusted the care of the Junior Seminary to the Vincentians in 1927 amd again called on their services whe St. John's Seminary opened.
The right medallion depicts St. Vincent and St. Louise de Marillac establishing the Sisters of Charity. The founding of the Congregation of the Mission is represented in the left medallion. Above the head of St. Vincent is the motto of the Vincentians, Evangelize pauperibus misit Me, "He has sent me to evangelize the poor." Beneath the figure of the saint is the facsimile of his signature.
Other emblems in the window include the coat-of-arms of Vincent's patron Cardinal Richelieu; the coat-of-arms of Paris, where Vincent lived and worked; the seal of the Daughters of Chartity and the reverse side of the Miraculous Medal. Beneath the medallion are the coat-of-arms of Pope Inocent X and Alexander VII, both whom condemned the Jansenistic principals at Vincent's suggestion. Two diamond shaped motifs commemorate the aid given to refugee Catholics from Ireland and England, dispelled by the persecutions.
In the base, the Apostolic Delegate to the United States, Archbishop Amleto G. Cicognani is shown dedicating the Edward Laurence Doheny Memorial Library at St. John's on October 14, 1940.
Also in the base is the coat-of-arms of Countess Estelle Doheny, donor of the window. The seal is surrounded by the words of St. Bernard, Respice Stellam, Voca Mariam, "Look on the star, call upon Mary." For Mary is the Star of Hope.
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