Over the coming months, we will be featuring the history, and meaning, of many of the stained glass windows featured in our church. To begin, we wanted to give you a brief history of stained glass windows.

THE HISTORY AND SPIRITUALITY OF STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

In considering architectural stained glass, Philip Kosloski writes: “Light is a common spiritual theme in Christian theology. In Genesis God’s first words at creation were, “‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good” (Genesis 1:3-4). Jesus even went so far as to identify himself with light, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

With this in mind, it was fitting for Christians to spend much time and energy developing the design of windows in churches. Windows funnel the light of the sun and dispel the darkness of the shadows. Architects saw them as the perfect opportunity to highlight a spiritual truth while serving a functional purpose. However, stained glass windows as we know them today were not developed until the 10th century. Prior to that the Egyptians and Romans had developed a technique for creating small colored glass objects, but did not use the technology for large-scale windows. The oldest surviving complete stained glass window is found in the
Augsburg Cathedral in Germany. It was constructed in the 11th century and was part of a project to make the windows larger and more beautiful. These windows not only served the spiritual purpose of bringing to mind how the light of God shatters our darkness but also proved to be an important catechetical tool. It was during the medieval period that stained glass windows became a primary way to teach the illiterate laity the many stories of the Bible. Often these windows, depending on the size of the church, would go from Genesis to Revelation, highlighting the most
important stories in Salvation History. The history of the Bible depicted in these windows would also be connected to a brief representation of Church history. Saints were also shown in these windows and presented as a daily inspiration for the people struggling on their Christian journey. The windows were also used to illustrate the illumination of the mind with divine knowledge and how grace penetrates our world.

As technology improved over time, stained glass windows grew larger and larger, becoming extremely complicated and full of all kinds of symbolism. On account of the complex artistry involved, stained glass windows were typically the last item to be installed in a new church and many years would pass until the final window was completed. The windows were also very expensive to produce and so to encourage donations, names of patrons would be etched on the bottom. In larger medieval churches the patrons themselves would even be depicted along with the saints.
Stained glass windows are some of the most beautiful treasures of Christian churches and are there to inspire and teach the faithful many spiritual truths. They remain an essential part of church architecture and continue to be used in new constructions throughout the world.”

The Youth Round Table is for all high school youth who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  We meet every Monday evening from 6:00-8:00 P.M. in the youth room for pizza, prayer, and Bible study.  On Monday, February 10 the Round Table will be taking a tour of the Cathedral in downtown Albany.  

The High School Winter Break Service week will be Tuesday through Friday, February 18-21 at a group home that is part of St. Catherine's Center for Children. We will be doing some painting, cleaning, decorating, and minor repairs.  If interested please contact Eddie Trevino at eddie.trevino@stedwardsny.org.

Breakaway camp for both middle school and high school youth will be June 28 to July 2 and Pyramid Lake.  Any middle school youth who attends Breakaway will not have to attend regular faith formation classes for the next year, but only four sessions for those youth who did attend, based on their schedule availability.