Right Transept

Upper Transept

The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven

Formally defined by Pope Pius XII in 1954's Ad Caeli Reginam, the doctrine of the Heavenly Queenship of Mary has its roots far earlier, as evidenced by the 12th Century antiphon Regina Caeli, itself derived from an even earlier prayer, said to have been recorded by Pope Gregory I in the 6th Century.

Lower Transept

St. Joachim

The father of the Blessed Virgin Mary, most of what has been passed down in the Christian tradition about St. Joachim and his wife, St. Anne, comes to us from the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James.

St. Mary Magdalene

This window is likely a depiction of St. Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus during His earthly ministry, and the first to whom He appears following His Resurrection.


At times, this window has, due to its proximity to the windows of St. Joachim and St. Anne, been identified as depicting Mary, the Mother of God; however, the lack of blue garments, as is traditional in the depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as a noticeable difference in the halo in this window from that of the Blessed Virgin's halo in most of the other windows in the church, makes this identification unlikely.


We can suggest that this image is meant to be St. Mary Magdalene due to the pose of the hands and face, reminiscent of the "penitent Magdalene" motif in classical art. Further, the purple and gold garment she is wearing is evocative of the purple garment worn by the woman who anoints Christ's feet, and of the purple-and-gold of one of the mourners at the Crucifixion, depicted in windows located elsewhere in the Church.

St. Anne with the child Mary

The mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, most of what has been passed down in the Christian tradition about St. Anne and her husband, St. Joachim, comes to us from the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James.

Here, she is pictured with her young daughter, who is holding an (obviously) anachronistic copy of the Bible.