(Summary: The $105,510.98 needed to fund this project was completely raised by Easter of 2015. As for the actual restoration itself, the work was completed in mid-January, except for some finishing touches and one piece of painted glass which was replaced in the spring.)
Among the most beautiful features of Mount St. Michael’s chapel are its exquisite stained-glass windows. Designed and constructed by Zettler Studios in New York, a company of Bavarian artists and master craftsmen, they were installed between the years 1947 and 1951. Several months ago we became concerned about the condition of the windows and had experts come in to inspect them. It was then that we learned that our chapel windows were approaching a critical point as far as repair and restoration were concerned. After studying three bids that were submitted, we decided to go with Associated Crafts (www.associatedcrafts.com), a nationally known and well-recommended company. Including taxes, the proposal amounted to $105,510.98. This was a great price, considering that the estimated replacement cost of each large window is $100,000, and $15,000 for each of the two smaller ones in the back!
You can still see on the brass plaque in the vestibule the list of original donors for each of the windows. The windows on the Epistle side, front to back, are:
- St. Michael: Patron of Mount St. Michael, and of the original Jesuit Mission in this area
- St. Peter Canisius: Jesuit priest and great defender of the Faith during the Protestant Revolt in the 16th century
- St. Therese of Lisieux: Patroness of the original Jesuit diocese of Alaska
- St. Alphonsus Rodriguez: Humble Jesuit lay brother and doorkeeper for many years
The windows on the Gospel side, front to back, are:
- Sacred Heart of Jesus: Our Divine Lord, in Whose honor the Society of Jesus was founded (this was the first of the windows to be installed)
- St. Ignatius Loyola: Founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
- Queen of the Jesuit Order: Our Lady as the Jesuit's Patroness
- St. John Berchmans: Jesuit scholastic, Patron of Altar Servers
This Was the Call
“Can You Help with the Restoration?” The question was put out in various ways and venues, beginning with the July 4, 2015, Singing Nuns Centennial Concert.
This Was the Response
Since the middle of the Centennial Year 2015, amazingly, most of the money was raised, thanks to the generosity of wonderful people both in our parish and from outside of it. (As of March 1, only the St. Ignatius and St. Peter Canisius windows are not yet fully sponsored.) Thanks, of course, also to St. Joseph, to whom we daily pray for the repair and restoration of our century-old building. Some people were able to sponsor an entire 10' x 20' window ($12,000); many contributed towards a section or a pane of a window, as shown in the diagram below. .
The children of St. Michael's Academy alone raised $3,267.04 through their donation drive! The Second Grade earned the most of any class: $891.41 (an average of $63.67 per student). In the High School, the boys raised $390.16 ($32.51 per student).
Altogether, the donations amounted to $86,554.72, and the Sisters’ Benefit Dinner on December 28 raised $4,089.57, totaling $90,644.29. As you can see, we’re still short $14,866.69, so we’ still making a push to make as much of this amount as possible. Of course, if anyone is inspired to make any other contributions, they will be most gratefully accepted! You may want to consider contributing to the repair of either the St. Ignatius or St. Peter Canisius windows. You will be giving a gift for God’s greater honor and glory and He will bless you for that.
The restoration work included:
- Remove covering on exterior of windows (this had been glued directly to the windows and would have proven harmful in the long run)
- Seal any cracks in the glass
- Replace seven pieces of painted glass
- Repair and reinforce six bulges, which would have eventually led to a catastrophic failure of the windows
- Recement the windows to the exterior surface
- Scrape, reputty and painting the exterior millwork
- Install new protective covering into the ventilators so they can remain operational, and also install new brass pull-chains to operate them with less chance of damage
- Clean exterior surface
- Remove and reinstall both small windows in the back (they were originally installed backwards)
As you all witnessed, skilled workers were here for several months, doing much of the labor during the inclement winter months. By mid-January, the restoration work was complete, except for one more replacement piece of glass for the St. Alphonsus Rodriguez window, which will be coming soon. There are still some finishing touches to be done, which we anticipate will be in the next couple of months.
Memorial plaques and name plates are available for donors who sponsor at least a half-square ($350). All donors will be remembered in a Mass for their intentions.
Special Thanks to the Donors
As promised, the plaques and name plates will be mounted soon. We are currently assessing the best location for them. The special Masses for all the donors and their intentions will be on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016, and on Sunday, May 8, 2016, Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael.
We most sincerely thank you for the donations which have made this important work possible, and we assure you of our never-ending gratitude and prayers. May you be greatly rewarded, not only in this life, but especially in the next. God bless you!