Featured Windows, January 2000
St. Francis Hospital Window
Building: St. Francis Hospital Chapel
This window is one of several that were made in 1927 for the previous building occupied by St. Francis Hospital. When the present hospital was built in 1968, the windows were reinstalled in its new chapel. Three windows portray scenes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi.
The central medallion in this window depicts the saint presenting a nun's habit to young Clare, who later founded the Order of Poor Clares and was elevated to sainthood after her death in 1253.
St. Clare, born in Assisi, Italy, in c. 1194, joined the Franciscan Order against the wishes of her wealthy parents who wanted her to marry. She is sometimes pictured confessing her faith at the feet of St. Francis, whose life of contemplation and poverty was adopted by St. Clare and her followers.
The painted scene is set within glowing yellow glass and a colorful jewel-like frame. St. Francis Hospital was designed by architect G. A. Arntzen of Escanaba. The windows were created by the F. X. Zettler studios of Munich, Germany. To view another window featuring St. Francis, visit the Window of the Month for March 1998.
St. Francis Hospital of Escanaba was registered in the Michigan Stained Glass Census by Beth Cox of Alameda, California.
Text by Betty MacDowell, Michigan Stained Glass Census, January , 2000.