Our Story in Stained Glass
Donna shares with us about the techniques she used for one of the windows
Those who have visited our monastery chapel know that our tall stained-glass windows are full of symbolism and meaning. The same is abundantly true for our new Chapter Room windows! Although much smaller than their “big sisters” in the chapel, these six gems shine with artist Donna Baldacci’s phenomenal skill and attention to detail.
We’ve shared some glimpses of some of the windows in previous posts, but now we want to give you a closer look - and share some of the fun hidden details that might go unnoticed at first glance!
Some opening remarks …
Overarching plan of the windows:
In a nutshell, they are meant to tell our story - the story of the Passionists as a whole, and the story of our community of St. Joseph Monastery:
Windows 1-4: The “anniversary windows” commemorating four important events in the history of the Passionist Congregation and of our particular monastery. All four of these anniversaries converged in the years 2020 and 2021, as our Cherish the Flame project was beginning!
Windows 5-6: The “patron windows” depicting our community’s two principal patrons - Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Joseph.
A note on the border of all six windows:
A stylized flowering vine climbs around each of the windows, seemingly growing out of the Passion Sign in the bottom center. The Passion Sign is created with a special sandblasting technique (see window 5 for an explanation of this technique). The flowers evoke the “passion flowers” which grow native in this area and which we cultivate in our garden, rich in natural symbolism of Christ’s Passion and also symbolic of the Passionist Nuns of our monastery. Each window has 18 flowers, the same number as appear in the central stained glass in our main chapel.
Now, for a closer look at each window …
Window #1: Foundation of the Passionist congregation (1720)
This first window commemorates the 300th anniversary (in 2020) of when St. Paul of the Cross was vested in the black habit and made his 40 day retreat, during which he received foundational graces for what would become the Passionist Congregation and wrote the Primitive Rule.
· The image of the actual Church of St. Charles in Castellazzo where Paul’s retreat took place. Note the tiny stone cell drawn at its side, evoking the room where Paul lived and prayed.
· Open book with quill pen, in process of writing the Rule and the Spiritual Diary which he kept during the retreat.
· An early version of the Passion Sign rising out of book, amidst flames symbolizing the newborn Passionist charism (and also evoking our “theme” for this renewal project, Cherish the Flame). The form of the Passion Sign here is as Paul described it from a vision he received as a young man, a white cross with the name of Jesus (Gesú in Italian) worn over his heart.
As the Passionist charism grew and developed, the Sign eventually became what you see in the bottom center of each window. The white lines and letters against the black background are important symbolically (“how pure the heart should be which bears the Name of Jesus”). The Sign also symbolizes our spirituality of having the Passion engraved on our hearts.
· The distinctive Roman umbrella pine trees, with a tiny nest of baby doves tucked on one of the branches. Though the Passionist Nuns—symbolized by doves in all the other windows—will not be founded until 1771, they are present here “in seed,” as a promise of the fuller flowering of the Passionist charism which is born in 1720.
Window #2 - foundation of the Passionist Nuns (1771)
This second window commemorates the 250th anniversary (in 2021) of when the first monastery of Passionist Nuns was finally erected, decades after the Passionist Fathers were founded. The first eleven Nuns entered the monastery and began Passionist women’s religious life on May 3.
· Eleven doves, symbolizing the first eleven Passionist Nuns. Doves, especially surrounding a crucifix, are a traditional symbol of the Passionist Nuns. Before we were founded, a holy woman told St. Paul of the Cross of a vision she had had of doves surrounding a crucifix, anointing the wounds of Jesus with the balm of their love and prayers and sacrifices. This became a powerful image of our vocation.
· a central cross bearing the five wounds of Jesus, symbolized by 5 red glass jewels. This cross certainly evokes our Passionist charism, and it also gives a nod to the feast of the Finding of the True Cross, which was celebrated on May 3 in the old calendar.
· Flame rising up from an oil lamp, symbolic of the “wise virgins” in Jesus’ parable about the coming of the Bridegroom, and a traditional symbol of women’s consecrated life. Here again, the flame symbolizes our Passionist charism which we seek to cherish and celebrate.
· One dove at the top represents Venerable Mother Mary Crucified, the woman chosen to be the co-foundress and first superior of the Passionist Nuns. She was a Benedictine Nun for 40 years before the foundation of the Passionists, and so she carries in her mouth a real St Benedict medal.
Window #3 - Foundation of st. joseph monastery (1946)
This third window commemorates the 75th anniversary (in 2021) of when five Passionist Nuns from the monastery in Scranton, PA, traveled by train to Owensboro, KY, to found a new monastery dedicated to St. Joseph on October 7.
· Five doves representing our five foundresses: Mother Mary Agnes, Sister Mary Bernadette, Sister Frances Marie, Sister Jeanne Marie, and Sister Mary Cecilia.
· Wisps of flame “carrying” the doves in the direction of the new foundation; the continued theme of our Passionist charism and of our Cherish the Flame project of renewal.
· Upper left: a map showing the actual historic rail route the foundresses would have traveled, as a dotted line from Scranton, PA, through Louisville, KY, to Owensboro, KY.
· Below the map is an image of a passenger train from the 1940s.
· Lower right: an image of the original “monastery” - the Monarch manor house where the Nuns lived until the first monastery was able to be built on the estate.
· Lilies representing St. Joseph, under whose patronage the new foundation was made.
· A rosary, representing the foundation date of October 7, feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
· The background glass of this window is yellow to invoke the old name of Owensboro, “Yellowbanks,” because of all the yellow clay in the local soil!
Window #4 - Relocation of our monastery to whitesville
This fourth window commemorates the 25th anniversary (in 2020) of when our community relocated from the Owensboro monastery to a newly-built monastery outside of Whitesville, KY. The new monastery included 170 acres of woodland and meadow and a 4 acre lake, to foster and ensure into the future a climate of prayer and silence for our contemplative life.
· View of the distinctive elements of our current chapel: water channel, altar, tabernacle, large hanging cross.
Special note on the glass used for the tabernacle doors: the artist chose dichroic glass to evoke the gold of the tabernacle. This special glass-coating technique was first developed for the Hubble Space Telescope, enabling it to safely pick up light from the farthest corners of the universe. How appropriate for the place whence the God of the universe gazes at us every time we visit the chapel! Also appropriately, these are the most expensive pieces of glass in the whole project.
· Flame of the Passionist charism rising from the tabernacle toward and around the cross
· Upper right: Dove incensing the cross, symbolic of the Passionist community in prayer and worship
Special note: the censer depicted is one of the actual thuribles used in our liturgies.
· Upper left: Exterior view of the monastery chapel as seen from across the lake
· Bottom: Two open breviaries (liturgy books), one on each side of the water channel, symbolizing the ability of guests to come pray with us (a priority in our relocation). In the guest breviary is the signature of Donna Baldacci, our stained glass artist!
· Music notes rising from the books along the right side of the glass, evoking our heritage of beautiful liturgical music.
wINDOW #5 - oUR sORROWFUL mOTHER
· Sorrowful Heart of Mary: a heart wreathed with white roses, pierced by a sword, with a flame rising from the top.
Special note on the glass technique used on the heart: this is a clear pane of glass with a thin layer of red on one side (called “flash glass”), which was then sandblasted to remove the red and thus “draw” the roses. Then the roses were painted and kiln-fired.
· Upper right: The three crosses on Calvary hill, with the nails and crown of thorns removed from Christ’s body after death. Our Sorrowful Mother is traditionally pictured holding these instruments of the Passion after the burial of her Son.
· Upper left: An adoring dove, symbolic of the Passionist Nuns.
· Text: Mater Dolorosa Ora Pro Nobis, “Sorrowful Mother, pray for us.”
· The background glass of this window is blue in honor of Our Lady.
wINDOW #6 - sT. jOSEPH
· Chaste Heart of Joseph: a heart with lilies, with a flame rising from the top
The same sandblasting technique was used for this heart as for the Sorrowful Heart of Mary
· Staff of St. Joseph, mirroring the angle of the sword in the Marian window.
· Upper left: The star of Bethlehem as the six-pointed Star of David, evoking Joseph as both Son of David and earthly Father of the Messiah.
· Below, St. Joseph’s carpentry bench and tools, including saw, hammer, carpenter’s square.
· Upper right: An adoring dove, symbolic of the Passionist Nuns.
· Text: Sancte Joseph Ora Pro Nobis, “Saint Joseph, pray for us.”
· The background glass of this window is yellow in honor of St. Joseph.