Gesu has 39 clerestory windows. To understand the story these windows
would tell, it's
best to view them in segments.
We'll start in the back of the church and view the sixteen clerestory
windows of the nave. The windows portray saints and
group them into distinct heavenly choirs. From back to front, we have
the
choir of married women: St. Elizabeth of Hungary (east) and St. Monica
(west), followed by the choir of virgins: St. Agnes (east) and St. Rose
of Lima (west).
The next set of windows both portray Jesuit saints. On the east there
are
St. John Francis Regis, and St. Peter Claver, both
pastors;
while on the west side stand St. John Berchmans, and St.
Stanislaus Kostka, both of whom died in the course of
formation
and so, though Jesuits, never were ordained priests.
Progressing forward, we find the choir of doctors of the
church: St. Thomas Aquinas (east) and St. Jerome (west), followed by
the choir of martyrs: St. Laurence (east) and St. Stephen (west). The
final set of clerestory windows in the nave begins with missionaries:
St. Gall (east) and St. Patrick (west), and finally the choir of
apostles: St. Andrew (east) and St.
James the Greater (west).
The sixteen clerestory windows of the transept are divided into Old
Testament (west) and New Testament (east). Let's begin on the west
side. On the north we have the choir of Archangels: St. Michael and St.
Raphael, followed by the choir of Patriarchs: Melchizedek and Moses. On
the south side of the transept, we see the Choir of Prophets: Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
Moving to the east transept, we have three saints who precede Jesus:
St. Anne, his grandmother, St. John the Baptist, and St. Elizabeth,
John's mother, and finally we see St. Mary Magdalene. On the south side
of the transept, we see the Choir of Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John.
Now, we come to the culmination of all, the clerestory windows of the
apse. The central window, of course, is Jesus represented here as
Savior of the World, his right hand extended in blessing, his left
securing the orb of the world. He is flanked by Mary (east) and St.
Joseph (west). These in turn are flanked by St. Peter (east) and St.
Paul (west). And finally, we come to the outer windows, two saints who
can never be absent from a Jesuit church: St. Ignatius (east) and St.
Francis
Xavier (west).
