Life of Jesus

Location:  Galway Cathedral (Galway, Ireland)

Year Built:  1999

Artist(s):  Patrick Pollen (1928-2010) & Gillian Quirke

The thirty-two windows of the ground-level of Galway Cathedral were installed during the cathedral’s construction in 1965, and aside from the depictions of Michael, Gabriel, and a few others, they all represent important events during the life of Jesus Christ. The eight windows of the nave of the cathedral depict some of the most well-known events in Jesus’ life narrated in the Gospels. These ground-level windows are noticeable for both their brilliant colors and the “resplendent reflections” they throw on the limestone walls when the sun is low. The four windows in the eastern wall of the nave (the first four described below) were designed and installed by Gillian Quirke (or Gillian Deeney) of Dublin, and the four windows in the western wall (the last four described below) were designed by Patrick Pollen.

The Adoration of the Magi:  The first ground-level window of the eastern nave, closest to the doors and farthest from the altar, represents Jesus being worshipped by the Magi just after His birth (Matthew 2)

Jesus Teaching by the Sea of Galilee:  The second window of the eastern nave depicts Jesus teaching the multitude of followers by the Sea of Galilee (Mark 3). Notice how Jesus retreats into the boat with his disciples due to the overwhelming size of the crowd.

St Peter Receives the Keys:  The third window of the eastern nave depicts Jesus bestowing upon Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16).

The Curing of the Paralytic:  The fourth window of the eastern nave, closest to the altar, depicts the famous story of Jesus curing the paralytic at Capernaum (Matthew 9, Mark 2, Luke 5). Notice the mat on which the paralytic rests, having been lowered to Jesus through the ceiling due to the thickness of the crowd. The men with ropes can be seen in the background.

The Sending of the Apostles:  The first ground-level window of the western nave, closest to the altar and farthest from the doors, depicts Jesus empowering the twelve disciples to heal sickness and drive out evil spirits and then sending them out to preach the good news (Matthew 10). Notice the Holy Spirit shown above who will speak through the disciples.

The Transfiguration of the Lord:  The second window in the western nave depicts the Transfiguration, when Jesus took Peter, John, and James with Him up to a mountain to pray and was transformed before their eyes (Matthew 17, Luke 9). Notice the appearance of Moses and Elijah at Jesus’ sides.

The Miracle of the Loaves & Fish:  The third window of the western nave depicts Jesus with the loaves and the two fish (Matthew 14, Mark 6, John 6). The five thousand people Jesus is about to feed with this meager meal is shown in the background.

The Temptation of the Lord in the Desert:  The fourth window of the western nave, closest to the doors, depicts Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness after fasting for forty days and forty nights (Matthew 4). The angels who attended Jesus after He resisted the devil are shown in the upper left. Notice how Satan is represented beneath the feet of Jesus with a distinct look of failure.