Rose Window V2 Silver Shield and the Beauty of Catholic Cathedrals
Whether you are a Catholic, or not, and you find yourself in a neighborhood with a large late 19th century Catholic Church, especially if it's a sunny day, go inside. There is nothing more glorious of an experience than to witness the light streaming into the church through its many stained glass windows, but especially through its huge rose windows. Chris’ new release, Rose Window V2, is a continuation of his luminous Rose Window series and exemplifies the brilliant craftsmanship associated with the great Rose Windows of the Catholic Church.
2026 "Rose Window V2" Silver Proof Coin, by Chris Duane
Most small-town, late 19th century Catholic churches in America only possess one rose window and it's usually centered over the church’s front door. But, many large city churches, especially the cathedrals, were built with as many as three rose windows, just as they were in the great European cathedrals. But, unfortunately, if you find the windows to be as inspiring and intriguing as many people do, you will have to travel to Paris, France in order to experience the three most iconic rose windows ever created.
Notre Dame Cathedral was begun under the auspices of King Louis VII, who was a member of the Capetian dynasty, which ruled France from 1137 to 1180. Pope Alexander III laid the cornerstone for the cathedral in 1163 and it was completed in 1345. Louis VII was a pious ruler who also undertook the Second Crusade as a personal pilgrimage to Jerusalem in order to do penance for his sins. These men were truly religious zealots.
Today, the massive 13th century rose windows of Notre Dame are not only impressive due to their enormity and age, but more astoundingly, due to the intricacy of the window’s designs and their complicated Gothic tracery. It’s hard to believe they were created nearly a thousand years ago.
Notre Dame’s South Window is known as the “midday rose” and it contains 84 panels within four enormous circles. It is titled, “The New Testament and the Triumph of Christ.” It is truly a sight to behold as the midday sun streams into the cathedral.
The second cathedral with highly revered rose windows is also in France. The windows are built into the walls of the Chartres Cathedral, which is located about 50 miles southwest of Paris in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region. The cathedral was built through the patronage of two kings, King Philippe II and King Louis IX and it was designed through the architectural talents of Pope Innocent III. The cathedral suffered a devastating fire in 1194, and over the next thirty years, it was completely rebuilt, including its three rose windows.
2026 "Rose Window V2” Silver Proof Coin, by Chris Duane
All Catholic cathedrals are oriented to face the rising sun in the East, which symbolizes the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead. As a result, there aren’t any rose windows on their East walls as that is where the altar is. So, just as with Notre Dame’s three rose windows, Chartres Gothic windows are also referred to as the South Rose Window, West Rose Window, and the North Rose Window.
The most striking aspect of Chartres windows is the abundance of “Chartres blue” glass encapsulated within the cathedrals three rose windows. Not only does the color create truly stunning windows but when you consider the enormous cost involved in manufacturing the blue glass, they become even more impressive. The South window is titled, “The Glorification of Christ”, the West window is called, “The Life of Christ and the Last Judgement” and the North window’s theme is, “The Glorification of the Virgin”. They are all truly global treasures.
The impetus for the construction of these breath-taking French cathedrals, including their striking rose windows, was religious fervor and piety. In fact, until very recently, the French were some of the most devout Catholics on earth. Their country's illustrious history is literally defined by their Catholic faith.
The Kings and Queens of France were very pious people, as was the citizenry of France. Catholicism was their national religion. These men and women literally lived their faith all day, not just on Sunday. As a result, they became one, enormous, cohesive entity which included thousands of trustworthy, reputable and duty-bound people. Their faith created a citizenry bound by faith, tradition and culture where everyone played by the same God-given rules. This religious fervor bred honorable Catholic men who could trust each other to do the right thing no matter what the challenges were. This personal interconnection allowed France to become one of the most powerful, and wealthy, nations on earth. And their gratitude is vividly expressed in their spectacular Catholic cathedrals.
Hundreds of years later, as America began to prosper during the late 19th century, our country began to build spectacular Catholic cathedrals as well. The most notable is the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey, which was built in 1899 in the French Gothic style of architecture and features the largest rose window of any Catholic church in the Western Hemisphere.
The next in line is St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, New York., which embodies the French and German Gothic Revival form of architecture. Its construction began in 1858 and it was dedicated on May 25, 1878. Both of these renown cathedrals include spectacular rose windows whose circular shape signifies divine perfection - having no beginning and no end.
Interestingly, although both of these stunning Catholic cathedrals were built to support the massive influx of Irish immigrants into America, they were actually constructed by expert Italian stonecutters and masons and the stained glasswork was created by the Germans.
And as can be seen in the delicate tracery of Chris’ new round, Rose Window V2, the windows are another expression of the unity provided by Catholicism. Catholics in America continued the medieval church-building tradition started in Europe centuries ago. But this time, as noted, the coordinated efforts required to build our American cathedrals were not undertaken by just Frenchmen, or just Spaniards or just Irishmen functioning within their own countries. These monumental American construction projects were undertaken by men from very different ethnic backgrounds and who spoke different languages as well! In fact, many of these men’s European ancestors were considered adversaries as they came from competing countries.
But, in America, this unprecedented collaboration during construction is now credited with initiating the “melting pot” concept often associated with our country. But it can also take credit for creating a much larger enterprise which resulted in the American industrial juggernaut of the late 19th century and early 20th century. These men were no longer Germans, Irish or Italian. They were all Americans.
Catholics are, by training, a grateful people. And their American rose windows, just as those in Europe, are a microcosm of their deeply-felt gratitude to God for providing them with the opportunity to improve their lives, and that of their families.
Today, that gratitude, piety and reverence are on display in the luminous brilliance of the rose windows installed in churches, and cathedrals, around the world. They are truly an amazing testament to humanity's continued faith in God and His benevolence.
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