The Blessed Virgin Mary
Santa Clara University, 1851
Santa Clara, California
The window of the Blessed Virgin Mary depicts her in traditional blue and white garments, symbolic of wisdom and purity. Her hands are raised together in prayer. Beneath her is a scroll with the words “Our Lady” resting on a gold cross over the letters MR, the monogram of “Maria;” over the monogram is the crown of the “Queen of Heaven.”
Ignatius of Loyola, and all those with whom he shared his practical experiences of prayer and reflection, realized that the Mother of Jesus was a caring and always attentive mother for themselves. Many of the Scriptural passages that Ignatius proposed for imaginative reflection in The Spiritual Exercises featured the relationship between the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Son Jesus: her free acceptance of motherhood when the angel appeared to her at the Annunciation, the birth of Jesus in the poor surroundings of a stable, her request that he act on behalf of the bride and groom at the wedding feast of Cana, her presence with Christ at his Crucifixion, and his appearance to her after the Resurrection.
The seal of the University of Santa Clara contains the Great Seal of the United States below which is the emblem of the Society of Jesus, IHS. The seal is surmounted by a semi-eagle with a cross, and is subtended by three nails to recall the Passion of Christ. The symbol of the three nails is taken from the coat of arms of the Society of Jesus. The inscription reads: “University of Santa Clara, Santa Clara;” the foundation date is 1851. The school colors are red and silver.
