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Stained Glass Windows

The Beauty of Stained Glass

Bringing our senses closer to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
- Our church has eight beautiful stained glass windows that fit tastefully with our Gothic architecture. A huge thank you to parishioner Jeff Kralovetz for taking all of the stained glass photos featured on this page!
  
  While our church was being built in 1932, Father John Gehl communicated with stained glass companies from around the country, including Columbia Stained Glass Company of Milwaukee, Conrad Schmitt Studios of Milwaukee, Weston & Leighton of Minneapolis, Emil Frei of St. Louis, Franz Mayer of Munich of New York, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company of Milwaukee, Bay City Glass Company of Green Bay, T. C. Esser Company of Oshkosh, and the Marathon Art Glass Company of Marinette. Ultimately, Father Gehl chose to go with the Columbia Stained Glass Company for our stained glass windows.
  
  All Saints was built in an architectural style called Tudor Gothic, which combines architectural elements from the Gothic and Tudor styles into one. All Saints was also built at the tail end of the Gothic Revival period when modernist architecture was gaining popularity. As such, its Gothic elements are much more subdued and simplified than buildings from a few decades prior.
  
  When looking at our stained glass windows, they are good examples of English gothic stained glass. Gothic architecture in England lasted from about the late 12^th Century to the late 16^th Century, representing a huge span of time. The expression of the gothic style changed over the centuries as tastes and new techniques developed. Early Gothic stained glass windows are characterized by deep and rich colors, especially blues and reds. They are often made of small pieces, creating a beautiful mosaic effect. However, these richly colored windows did not let in large amounts of light. So when you have large stone churches and cathedrals that are filled with nothing but richly colored glass, long before light bulbs were invented, it could be pretty dark. Later gothic windows were characterized by more lightly colored or white panels with colorful central subjects, which let in significantly more light. Our front and back windows are good examples of the early Gothic style, while our side windows are good examples of mid- to late Gothic style. Our richly colored glass has the color directly incorporated into the glass, whereas the lighter pieces on the side windows are clear glass, where the pastel color was brushed on with a brush similar to a makeup brush, which would take hours of work for a craftsman to complete.
  
  All of our windows were donated by parishioners and their families. The large windows cost $300 each, while the side windows cost $150 each. Altogether, $1,500 was spent on the windows, which was actually a pretty low cost compared to some of the other bids that were received. And even though it was on the cheaper end, we have gotten compliments from professional stained glass companies today regarding the quality of design and workmanship. You’ll also notice that our windows have a strong Marian theme, with the Blessed Virgin Mary being represented in all but one of the windows. The side windows are all named after different titles for Mary, which are taken from the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was composed in the Middle Ages and approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587.
- Window of Sacrifice
  
  Story of Creation - The top portion of the window includes several images from the Creation story in Genesis and the Fall of Man, which created the necessity of sacrifice. In the center, the right hand of God is shown with a dove, which shows Creation. The serpent holding an apple in its mouth is on the left, and the flaming sword to guard Paradise is on the right.
  
  Sacrifice of Cain and Abel - Cain, a farmer, and Abel, a shepherd, were the first two sons of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel both offer a sacrifice to God. God is pleased by Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s sacrifice. This rejection angered Cain, who, giving in to sin, murders his brother.
  
  Sacrifice of Noah and the Covenant - After the Great Flood, Noah built an altar and presented a sacrifice to God. God accepted the sacrifice and made his covenant with Noah that he would never destroy the world by a flood again.
  
  Sacrifice of Isaac - In Genesis 22, God tested the faith of Abraham, and asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Before Abraham could complete the sacrifice, the Angel of the Lord stopped him, and a ram was sacrificed instead. This proved Abraham’s faith in God, that God is true to his word.
  
  Sacrifice of Elijah - The people of Israel had fallen away from the worship of God, and began worshipping the pagan god Baal, so God punished the nation. To resolve the dispute, Elijah created a test between God and Baal. The priests of Baal made an unsuccessful sacrifice, while Elijah’s sacrifice to God was successful, proving to King Ahab that God is real.
  
  Samuel Anoints David as King of Israel - In 1 Samuel 16, God sent the prophet Samuel to find and anoint the new King of Israel. Samuel traveled to Bethlehem and invited Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice. Jesse presented his sons one by one at the sacrifice, and God revealed to Samuel that David was to be the new king of Israel.
  
  Institution of the Holy Eucharist - At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the centuries until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection (Sacrosanctum Concilium 47).
  
  Most of this window is undergoing significant restoration work in 2024, which is being done by Studio K Stained Glass LLC of Appleton, Wisconsin. The project consists of the complete disassembly and releading of the glass, excluding the main center panel. The total cost of this project will be over $57,000.
- Glories of Mary
  
  Donated by Wencel Dufeck, Simon Dufeck, Albert & Barbra Dufeck, and Martin & Mary Dufeck.
  
  The central part of this window depicts the Assumption and Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven. In the center of the window, you can see a group of angels lifting Mary upward toward the opening of heaven, with divine light shining down on her. At the very top of the window is an angel holding a magnificent crown.
  
  On the sides of the window, there are multiple symbols that all relate to Mary, with several representing Mary as depicted in the book of Revelation, traditionally known as the Apocalypse, from the Greek apokalypto, which means “to reveal”.
  
  Red rose – noble flower, mentioned in Song of Songs in the Old Testament. Recitation of Mary’s Psalter, 150 Hail Marys in honor of the mysteries of her life and that of her Divine Son, was often called a rosarium or rose garden. The name Rosary comes from this.
  
  More specifically, this depicts the mystical rose, which symbolizes Mary’s mystical participation in the work of the Holy Trinity
  
  Serpent surrounding the world – In Genesis, the serpent tempts Eve, causing the downfall of humanity. In verse 15, God curses the serpent. In older translations that would have been in more common use at the time, such as the Douay-Rheims version, it says, “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and they seed and her seed: she shall crush they head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel”, foretelling how Mary would crush the head of the serpent. In modern translations that are based off the original Hebrew, the Bible swaps the feminine pronouns in the second half of the sentence for masculine, so it reads, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel”, foretelling that Jesus crushes the head of the serpent. Yet, Mary can still be represented as she can be seen as indirectly crushing the head of the serpent by agreeing to become the Mother of Jesus.
  
  Fleur de lys – represents lilies, which is representative of her immaculate purity, innocence, and virginity
  
  Fleur de lys and staff – Symbols of royalty
  
  Sun and Moon – In Revelation, the woman is clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. Mary is often referred to as the moon, as a reflection of the sun, which is Jesus.
- Queen of Patriarchs
  
  Donated by Dr. Wenzel & Mary Schleis
  The center of the window likely depicts Abraham, the main patriarch in the Old Testament.
  
  On the left side is a harp, which is featured prominently, especially in the Psalms, to give praise to God. This window is also the closest to the choir area, and a harp can also represent St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians.
  
  On the right side features the burning bush, which is a prefigurement of Mary. In the book of Exodus, Moses stumbles upon a bush that is on fire, but is not consumed by the fire, and God spoke to him from that bush. Similarly, St. Gregory of Nyssa notes that “What was prefigured at that time in the flame of the bush was openly manifested in the mystery of the Virgin, once an interval of time had passed. Just as on the mountain the bush burned but was not consumed, so also the Virgin gave birth to the light and was not corrupted. Nor should you consider the comparison to the bush to be embarrassing, for it prefigures the God-bearing body of the Virgin.”
  
  Other symbols include: The ark, which Noah would be a patriarch in the wide sense of the term.
- Queen of Prophets
  
  Donated by: Mary, Matthias, Lawrence, Henry, & Mathilda Kafka
  
  Center of the window may depict Isaiah, one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament who foretold the coming Messiah in Jesus Christ.
  
  Other symbols include: Cross anchor, St. Clement, as the method of his martyrdom (tied to an anchor and thrown into the Black Sea), symbol of hope in the Bible. Star, could be star of Bethlehem, which told the Magi of the Savior’s birth. Rising sun, could allude to prophecy in Malachi 1:11, which foretells the Eucharist.
  
  “From the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.” According to Mike Aquilina, this prophecy was written 500 years before Jesus, thus would make little sense to the Jews of the time. Offerings at that time were very bloody, not pure, and only in the temple in Jerusalem. This prophecy, many Church Fathers believed, speaks directly to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, a pure sacrifice offered all around the world.
- Queen of Apostles
  
  Donated by Frank & Emily Kellner
  
  Featured prominently on this window is the Virgin Mary standing over what appears to be the Apostle Saint Peter, as he is holding the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven entrusted to him by Jesus. On the left panel, a prominent feature is a globus cruciger, meaning cross-bearing orb, which represents Christ’s dominion over the world. On the right panel, the prominent feature is a triquetra, or three interlocking fish, which symbolizes the Holy Trinity. And using this symbol of the Trinity, out of all the different symbols that could have been used, is so meaningful because St. Peter was originally a fisherman.
  
  Other featured symbols include a church built on a rock, which alludes to Saint Peter, the Apostle or rock on which Jesus built his church; an axe, which may represent St. Thomas; a sailboat, which may represent St. Peter as well. Additionally, St. Jude and St. Simon the Zealot are also represented by boats.
- Queen of Martyrs
  
  Donated by Edward & Elizabeth Geimer
  
  The focal point of the window is Our Lady standing over a priest praying. Our Lady seems to be reaching out, as if in distress or seeking to comfort the martyr. The priest is wearing a red chasuble, with the color red traditionally symbolizing martyrdom due to giving one's life for the faith. On the left, a prominent symbol is a chalice with a snake, which is a traditional symbol of St. John the Evangelist. Stems from a story in which St. John was given a poisoned chalice to drink from, but he blessed the drink and the poison came out of the cup in the form of a small green snake. Can symbolize Christian faith triumphing over death, the Last Supper, or when Jesus says, “My chalice indeed you shall drink.” Matthew 20:23
  
  On the right there is a sword and a book, which are traditional symbols of St. Paul, who was martyred. Other symbols in the window include: St. Andrew's Cross, representing St. Andrew and his martyrdom by crucifixion; and a spear and square, representing St. Thomas, who was martyred by a spear. Ciborium – maybe St. Barbara. After she converted, her father turned her over the Martianus, the prefect of the province in which she lived. He had her cruelly tortured, and she continued to hold to her faith. Many miracles occurred during and after her torture, and was eventually beheaded by her own father.
- Queen of Confessors
  
  Donated by Louis and Josephine Kriwanek
  
  On the left is a bouquet of lilies. Lilies represent purity, and many virgin saints have the lily as their emblem.
  
  On the right is a bouquet of roses. In the context of saints, roses can symbolize Christian joy.
  
  In the center, a saint is depicted kneeling in prayer while Our Lady watches over him, seemingly in protection. The religious habit of the monk most resembles a Franciscan habit. In that context, I suspect it may be depicting St. Anthony of Padua. He was a Franciscan Friar, and is a confessor and Doctor of the Church. He is often depicted with lilies.
  
  Other symbols on this window include: Cross and bread, symbolizing St. Philip. Lance and carpenter square symbolizes St. Thomas. Scimitar symbolizes St. Bartholomew, which is sometimes used to depict his martyrdom of being flayed, or peeling off his skin.
- Queen of Virgins
  
  Donated by Frank and Anna Nemitz
  
  The central theme of this window shows a nun kneeling with the Blessed Virgin standing over her. I haven’t been able to identify the nun, but the habit appears to be similar to a Dominican habit.
  
  The sides also feature the Ark of the Covenant. This is another title of Mary in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Theologians have drawn many comparisons between the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament and Mary in the New Testament. The original Ark of the Covenant was “the holiest item in Judaism. It contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, and God made His presence especially manifest over the ark”, which was an early parallel of the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. One way in which Mary is represented as the New Ark is that she carried God incarnate in her womb, earning the title “Theotokos”, or Bearer of God.
  
  Other symbols include: Club and stones symbolizing James the Less, the instruments of his martyrdom. Sword and scallop shell symbolize St. James the Great. He was the first to go on a missionary journey, and scallop shells represent pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. It is also said that he appeared in 844AD to help Christian Spaniards defeat a Muslim army with a sword in his hand, where he earned the nickname St. James the Moor-slayer. Rose symbolizes Christian joy, many virginal saints are pictured with roses such as St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Dorothy. Shamrock symbolizing St. Patrick, a famous symbol of Ireland and what St. Patrick used to illustrate the Trinity.
  
  There is also a painting of All Saints in the window, as Frank Nemitz was the contractor for the new church. He had this added in a desire to personalize his window. This can also be seen as an allusion to another title for the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of All Saints.