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As we cross the back of the Church heading west, we see another window dedicated by the Children of Mary. This window is special to the parish family, for it depicts Mary as Our Lady of the Gulf. She holds the child Jesus in her lap and cares for him. Both Mary and Jesus watch over us and protect us. Their eyes are lowered as they look down upon us. The angel to Our Lady's left holds a ribbon which proclaims her title: Our Lady of the Gulf, pray for us.
Immediately below, we see the Church as it was first planned. The domes, however, were never added. Depicted are the old rectory, the Church, and former St. Joseph's Academy for girls. The Gulf waters fill the lower part of the picture and the oak trees and grass that were once in front of the church but were eaten away either by nature and/or the forces of progress in the building of streets and sidewalks.
The next window depicts Mary standing at the Cross of Jesus.
You will note that she is being supported by St. John, the disciple Jesus loved. When Jesus from his cross gave Mary to John as his mother, Jesus was actually giving Mary to us as the mother of the Church. This is symbolized by the 12 stars contained in her halo.
These represent the 12 tribes of Israel.
Mary Magdalen is at the foot of the cross. There is a jar of ointment, alluding to the time when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus, washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them dry with her hair. In the window, Mary's hair touches the feet of Jesus. Once again the passion flower is depicted. Since this flower blossoms for only three days, it reminds us of the fact that Jesus will rise in three days. This window is dedicated to Mary Z. Adams.
To the top and center, one can see the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove — hovering over the waters. The prominence of the waters remind us that they are to serve both as life giving in that they provide us with employment and food as well as the fact that they offer to us a wonderful source of recreation and relaxation.
Water imagery is used throughout the Church, and that is partly because of our location on the Gulf. But water imagery is significant throughout the scriptures as well. Can any of you recall any such imagery in both the Old and the New Testaments?
The angels scattered throughout the painting — and indeed through all the Church
are to symbolize God's use of angels as messengers to humans on	earth.	We	don't	get
many such angel messengers today. Or maybe we do, but we're just unwilling	to	accept	the
bearer of the message as indeed being an "angel" in our lives.
On the sanctuary wall are two common symbols of the Eucharist: the	pelican
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