We resume our series of articles on the stained-glass windows that adorn our beautiful church and return to the windows located on the north wall (to your right, as you enter the church). Knowing a bit more about these beautiful works of art will, we hope, enhance your prayer and worship here at St. Anne.
The window closest to the back of the church celebrates St. Katherine Drexel. Born in 1858, Katherine grew up on a 90-acre estate near Philadelphia and, while wealthy, the family taught her the value of charity. A family trip to the western United States first awakened in Katherine an awareness of indigenous American people and their struggles and, in an 1886 audience with Pope Leo XIII, was urged to become a missionary to minorities.
Reading about her life and work, her founding of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and the many schools she founded can be inspirational. St. Katherine truly lived out the passage from the parable of the Last Judgement in Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Celebrating the Sacraments The second window from the back of the church on the right-hand wall celebrates the sacraments. Beginning at the top left we see a depiction of baptism, the sacrament that welcomes us into the faith. Msgr. Diego Conesa, a former pastor of Prince of Peace who assisted at St. Anne after retirement, is honored in the image. Moving to the right, the picture reminds us of forgiveness and the sacrament of reconciliation. Pause to consider a time when you felt our Lord’s mercy as if being embraced by Him. At the top right, is a depiction of First Communion. The small image of a monstrance above reminds us of Jesus’ true presence in the Eucharist. Moving to the bottom row, on the left we see Bishop Emeritus Robert Lynch conferring the sacrament of confirmation on a young person. The dove reminds us that in the sacrament we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit to help live as disciples of Christ. The bottom middle and right panels Fr. John McEvoy, former pastor at St. Anne, is depicted with children. The scene reminds us of our duty to pass on the faith to the next generation. As you view it, perhaps you will offer a prayer for the children currently in our Faith Formation classes and for their teachers.
