St. Dunstan’s Window

The window commemorates the life of Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England (1529-32). More was beheaded in the time of Henry VIII and his head lies within the Roper Chapel vault in St. Dunstan's Church. The window was the gift of friends from the St. Thomas More Church in Kansas City, Mo., U.S.A., and of friends from the St. Thomas More Church in Vienna, Austria and of the Reverend Hugh O. Albin, Vicar of the Parish. It was designed and made by Lawrence Lee. Photograph by Tommy Heyne.

Click on a figure to learn more about this window.

Thomas More and Family Window
Sir Thomas More, Chancellor of England Alice, his wife Margaret More, his daughter William Roper, son-in-law Cecily, More's daughter Grocyn, More's tutor Erasmus, his friend John Colet, Dean of St. Paul's & friend St. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester Queen Catherine, wife of Henry VIII Thomas More, the Scholar Thomas More, the Churchman Thomas More, the Martyr Cromwell, subsequent Chancellor Wolsey, Cardinal and Archbishop of York Armorial Group The Agnus Dei and Gifts of the Holy Spirit Armorial Group St. Thomas More Church, Kansas City Chelsea Old Church St. Thomas More Church, Vienna, Austria More's house at Chelsea The Tower of London Inscription Inscription The Duke of Norfolk Inscription Inscription Inscription

Sir Thomas More, Chancellor of England

Sir Thomas More, Chancellor of England

Alice, his wife

Alice, his wife

Margaret More, his daughter

Margaret More, his daughter

William Roper, son-in-law

William Roper, son-in-law

Cecily, More's daughter

Cecily, More's daughter

Grocyn, More's tutor

Grocyn, More's tutor

Erasmus, his friend

Erasmus, his friend

John Colet, Dean of St. Paul's & friend

John Colet, Dean of St. Paul's & friend

St. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester

The text in the open book Fisher holds is from the Utopia. Fisher points to this text with his left hand: "That not only the king's honor but also his safety rests more upon his people's wealth than upon his own...." The other page has this text: "the people choose a king for their own sake and not for his--soby his care and labour they might live happily and secure from danger...that if a king should fall into such confirmed hatred of his people that he cannot secure their loyalty without resort to threats, exactions, and confiscations and his people's impoverishment, he had better abdicate his throne rather than attempt by these means to retain the name without the glory...what if I were to advise him to put aside pride...."

Queen Catherine, wife of Henry VIII

Queen Catherine, wife of Henry VIII

Thomas More, the Scholar

Thomas More, the Scholar

Thomas More, the Churchman

Thomas More, the Churchman

Thomas More, the Martyr

Thomas More, the Martyr

Cromwell, subsequent Chancellor

Cromwell, subsequent Chancellor

Wolsey, Cardinal and Archbishop of York

Wolsey, Cardinal and Archbishop of York

Armorial Group

  1. Oxford University
  2. The Great Seal of Henry VIII
  3. Diocesan arms of Canterbury
  4. The Borough of Chelsea

The Agnus Dei and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Agnus Dei and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Armorial Group

  1. Tudor Arms of England
  2. The City of Westminster
  3. The City of London
  4. Symbol of St. Dunstan

St. Thomas More Church, Kansas City

St. Thomas More Church, Kansas City

Chelsea Old Church

Chelsea Old Church

St. Thomas More Church, Vienna, Austria

St. Thomas More Church, Vienna, Austria

More's house at Chelsea

More's house at Chelsea

The Tower of London

The Tower of London

Inscription

"He who humbleth himself shall be exalted and he who exalteth himself shall be humbled."

Inscription

I die "the King's good servant, but God's first."

The Duke of Norfolk

The Duke of Norfolk

Inscription

"Except the Lord build the house, except the Lord keep the city, they labour in vain that build it, the watchman waketh but in vain."

Inscription

"Except the Lord build the house, except the Lord keep the city, they labour in vain that build it, the watchman waketh but in vain."

Inscription

The gift of Alfred J. Blasca K.G.C.H.S and members of the S. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church in Kansas City, MO., U.S.A. of Professor Willibald M. Ploechl, K.H.S., Austrian Jurists and members of the St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church in Vienna and of the Reverend Hugh O. Albin in M.A.B.D., Vicar of St. Dunstan with Holy Cross as a thanksgiving offering on his completion of 28 years of ministry.