Stained Glass Windows
Stained glass touches us in many ways. Our faith is beautifully illustrated before our eyes. Our mood is affected by the warmth and calm of the sun passing through the glass. And we can't help but ask questions about these towering creations: How were these windows constructed? How can glass glow with such bright color, even on a cloudy day? Who are all of the people pictured in the windows?
The answers are found in the art of stained glass itself, which began a thousand years ago. Stained glass windows, like the ones at St. Alphonsus, became an important part of church architecture during the 12th century. A new architectural style --Gothic-- allowed the building of churches with walls that were not only taller and thinner than before, but also supported by exterior buttresses. Earlier churches had massive walls, with smaller windows, and more interior supporting structures. Their large, flat walls held paintings and mosaics. Now, Gothic style churches had more open interiors, and their thinner walls could have huge windows --ideal for beautiful stained glass.
The windows offered another benefit: they helped teach people religious doctrine. During the Middle Ages, the general literacy of the population had declined, so stories and visual displays were used to teach people about the faith.
Stained glass is really not "stained". It's glass that's colored by adding different chemicals to glass in its molten state. Metallic oxides make the color: copper for ruby, manganese for purple, iron for green, etc. Flat sheets of glass of different colors are then cut into whatever shapes are needed for the design of the window. The pieces are held together by strips of lead, the softest and heaviest common metal. It also resists the attacks of air, water, and the harsh chemicals found in pollution.
Details in the windows, such as faces, folds in clothes, and words of text, are painted on the glass with enamel made from ground glass and rust powder mixed with glue. This mixture is then fired in a kiln to bond the enamel to the glass before it's leaded.
The characters in the windows of St. Alphonsus were chosen much like those in churches built in the Middle Ages. The glory of a medieval town was its church, and it was only fitting that windows made to look like precious stones convey precious ideas. And so began the idea of a cycle --a group of windows with a common theme, such as Biblical history, or the lives of the saints. This approach continued to modern times, in churches such as St. Al's.
Our windows were designed and produced by the studios of F. X. Zettler, of Munich, Germany, in 1920. Together, these thirty major windows, and ten smaller ones throughout the church, make up an area of nearly three thousand square feet.
Stained glass windows do wonderful things with light. Unlike a painting or a mosaic, which reflect the light, stained glass lets light pass through the artwork. The light is colored, refracted, spreading throughout each piece of glass. The timid light of a winter's day is enough to make a stained glass window come to life. Bright sunshine turns muted hues to intense colors. Stained glass changes with the light, reflecting not only the weather, but the mood and feeling of the day. Thus, on the darkest day of winter or the hottest day of August, a stained glass image of Mary seems to float above us, calling us to look up, and be inspired.