Regis Jesuit

This exterior stained glass window serves as a beacon—a visible, welcoming campus gateway for the new Science & Innovation Center at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado. The art glass design draws upon the 4th-century IHS monogram, an abbreviation for the name of Jesus in Greek, later embraced by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1541 as the emblem of the Society of Jesus. The design is further informed by the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, whose reverence for a world of subtle, radiant design finds a visual echo here. Dynamic, sweeping forms invite the viewer toward the Jesuit vision of finding God in all things. A semi-opaque white glass used on the lettering and sun rays creates a stunning visual reflectance from the exterior while glowing with sunlight from the interior.

The Madonna della Strada window stands on the interior wall between the chapel and the stairwell, seen from both sides. Our Lady of the Way takes her name from the icon in the first church the early Society of Jesus operated in Rome. Students passing on the stairs meet her as they climb.

Formed in mouth-blown transparent glass from Lamberts Glashütte in Waldsassen, Germany, and fabricated by Derix Glasstudios, the window’s composition seamlessly harmonizes with the magnificent view of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to the west. The open gesture of the glass and the architectural design support the goals of this state-of-the-art facility for interdisciplinary exploration, creativity, and academic excellence.