OUR STAINED GLASS WINDOWS
Our Lady of Hope’s stained glass windows were installed by Beyer Studios, Inc. of Philadelphia in July, 2009. Twelve of the nineteen beautiful stained windows that grace Our Lady of Hope once adorned Saint Aloysius, a church in south Philadelphia. Founded by German immigrants, the parish served its parishioners from 1894 till 2004, when it was closed due to declining membership, compounded by a shortage of priests. The money received for these windows benefitted St. Gabriel’s Church of Philadelphia, which absorbed St. Aloysius’ parishioners.
These windows come from the upper tier or clerestory. The larger windows from the lower tier have been incorporated into the newly-built Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Media, PA. They were commissioned in 1924, designed in the Gothic Revival style, and made by the famous F.S. Zettler Studio in Munich, Germany and then shipped across the Atlantic to Philadelphia.
In addition to refurbishing and modifying the windows from St Aloysius to fit the frames in Our Lady of Hope, the Beyer Studios crafted the other seven windows from scratch meeting requirements developed by Father David Whitman and a committee of parishioners.
The windows depict scenes from the Mysteries of the Rosary, in the historical chronology of the New Testament. Entering the Our Lady of Hope church and proceeding clockwise these are:
1) The Annunciation Utility Room Zettler Studio
2) The Visitation Left Wall Zettler Studio
3) The Nativity Left Wall Beyer Studio
4) The Presentation Left Wall Zettler Studio
5) Finding of Jesus in Temple Joseph Room Zettler Studio
6) Baptism of Christ Joseph Room Beyer Studio
7) The Transfiguration Joseph Room Beyer Studio
8) Agony in the Garden Joseph Room Zettler Studio
9) Scourging at the Pillar Mary Room Zettler Studio
10) Crowning of Thorns Mary Room Zettler Studio
11) Jesus Carries His Cross Mary Room Zettler Studio
12) The Crucifixion Mary Room Beyer Studio
13) The Resurrection Right Wall Zettler Studio
14) The Ascension Right Wall Beyer Studio
15) Descent of the Holy Spirit Vestibule Zettler Studio
16) The Assumption Vestibule Zettler Studio
17) Crowning of Mary Confessional Zettler Studio
In addition to the Rosary scenes, there are two rose windows, which are round and depict the following:
18) Joseph & the Child Jesus Joseph Room Beyer Studio
19) Mary & the Child Jesus Mary Room Beyer Studio
Regarding the use of these beautiful and historical materials in new churches, a commentator put it well, “…our Catholic identity is a cumulative appreciation of our past and our present and is continually growing and evolving as a living, dynamic expression of our faith.”
Our Lady Of Hope parish is very much indebted to all those who made the installation of these windows happen. The windows have added a significant spiritual experience to our little church.
These windows come from the upper tier or clerestory. The larger windows from the lower tier have been incorporated into the newly-built Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Media, PA. They were commissioned in 1924, designed in the Gothic Revival style, and made by the famous F.S. Zettler Studio in Munich, Germany and then shipped across the Atlantic to Philadelphia.
In addition to refurbishing and modifying the windows from St Aloysius to fit the frames in Our Lady of Hope, the Beyer Studios crafted the other seven windows from scratch meeting requirements developed by Father David Whitman and a committee of parishioners.
The windows depict scenes from the Mysteries of the Rosary, in the historical chronology of the New Testament. Entering the Our Lady of Hope church and proceeding clockwise these are:
1) The Annunciation Utility Room Zettler Studio
2) The Visitation Left Wall Zettler Studio
3) The Nativity Left Wall Beyer Studio
4) The Presentation Left Wall Zettler Studio
5) Finding of Jesus in Temple Joseph Room Zettler Studio
6) Baptism of Christ Joseph Room Beyer Studio
7) The Transfiguration Joseph Room Beyer Studio
8) Agony in the Garden Joseph Room Zettler Studio
9) Scourging at the Pillar Mary Room Zettler Studio
10) Crowning of Thorns Mary Room Zettler Studio
11) Jesus Carries His Cross Mary Room Zettler Studio
12) The Crucifixion Mary Room Beyer Studio
13) The Resurrection Right Wall Zettler Studio
14) The Ascension Right Wall Beyer Studio
15) Descent of the Holy Spirit Vestibule Zettler Studio
16) The Assumption Vestibule Zettler Studio
17) Crowning of Mary Confessional Zettler Studio
In addition to the Rosary scenes, there are two rose windows, which are round and depict the following:
18) Joseph & the Child Jesus Joseph Room Beyer Studio
19) Mary & the Child Jesus Mary Room Beyer Studio
Regarding the use of these beautiful and historical materials in new churches, a commentator put it well, “…our Catholic identity is a cumulative appreciation of our past and our present and is continually growing and evolving as a living, dynamic expression of our faith.”
Our Lady Of Hope parish is very much indebted to all those who made the installation of these windows happen. The windows have added a significant spiritual experience to our little church.