The Ascension Window (1930)

Quick Facts

MEMORIAL TO: Helen Alice Chapman Ashley (1859–1891)

GIVEN BY: Her husband, Henry DeLancy Ashley (1856–1938)

DESIGNED BY: James Humphries Hogan, R.D.I. (1883–1948)

FABRICATED BY: James Powell & Sons (Whitefriars), Ltd, London, England

INSTALLED: July 1930

DEDICATED: October 26, 1930

Symbolism

  • James Hogan chose to depict only the feet of Christ as he ascends into Heaven, a stylistic device employed in medieval art.
  • As in the Resurrection window, His nail wounds radiate, indicating the intensity of His suffering.
  • The angels carrying Christ to Heaven are clothed in red for divine love. They bear a striking resemblance to the countenance of Saint John the Beloved used in both the Baptism and Crucifixion windows.
  • The seven other figures in this window are: Christ’s mother, Mary; His aunt, Miriam; Mary Magdalene; and four disciples, among them Saint Peter and Saint John the Beloved.

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