Often the inside of a mausoleum is more impressive than the exterior displaying sculptures and stained-glass windows that are not readily accessible to be viewed. The window shown here displays a woman in white robes cradling a dove in her hands. 

There are several references in the Bible that refer to the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16 reads, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.” 

In Mark 1:10 the Bible says, “And Straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him.” Again in John 1:32, the Bible reads, “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.” 

However, along with the dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit, the dove is also closely associated with peace, often depicted with a sprig of an olive in its beak. This, too, originated in the Bible. After the waters receded in the story of Noah, the dove appears. Genesis 8:11, “And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.”  It was viewed as a sign of God’s forgiveness.  Though the dove does not have an olive sprig in its beak in this representation, the ribbon with “PEACE” emblazoned at the bottom of the window gives away the meaning here.

As is often the case, symbols not only have a religious meaning but often share a secular one, as well.  The mourning figure above is draped in white robes and the white dove with the color white typically associated with the virtues of purity and innocence.