WOONSOCKET — A new stained glass window was unveiled at St. Agatha’s Parish, Woonsocket, on Easter morning, allowing parishioners to see Christ’s rising represented in brilliant color as they listened to the account of his resurrection from the Gospel of John. Supported by donations from parishioners, the window is the result of a years-long effort to enhance the beauty and physical structure of the church.
“It’s a dream come true. When we did the renovation on the church, that was our dream,” said Suzanne Picard, a parishioner of 45 years, following the 10:30 Mass on Easter morning.
Pastor Father Michael Kelly said plans to install a new stained glass window above the choir loft have been developing since before he arrived at the parish three years ago. Prior to the installation, the church had only one other stained glass window, a crucifixion scene over the altar. The crucifixion glass is original to the building, which opened as a parish in 1953, and was created by the famous Italian-Canadian painter Guido Nincheri, whose work can be seen in parishes throughout Rhode Island. Since the two windows are positioned opposite each other, Father Kelly said he took the existing glass into account when choosing the new window.
“I thought, what greater complement would it be to put the risen Christ at the other end [of the church], especially at the risen sun in the East?” he said.
The window was installed by New England Stained Glass Company of North Attleboro, Mass. Company owner James Donahue is no stranger to Rhode Island parishes, having gotten his start in the industry while working with his uncle on Our Lady of Consolation Church, Pawtucket, 40 years ago. He has since created or restored windows for parishes throughout the region, learning the history of the churches that house them as he goes.
Some windows, like the resurrection scene at St. Agatha’s, have more than one church to their name and carry a storied past. The resurrection scene was once a highlight of the chapel of the former St. Joseph’s Hospital, now incorporated into Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, Providence. Donahue and his team removed the window, along with several others, when the chapel closed. When Father Kelly called looking for a window for St. Agatha’s, Donahue invited him to his shop to see the recovered window, suggesting it might be a perfect fit.
“The resurrection is perfect for Easter,” he said.
The St. Joseph’s find isn’t the first window Donahue has installed in a new space. Stained glass windows represent some of the most valuable cultural artifacts of historic churches. As these churches close due to declining attendance or lack of funds, pastors and administrators often call stained glass companies to remove the windows and hold onto them until new owners can be found. By removing and re-installing the windows somewhere else, glassmakers are able to preserve church history and offer newer churches a level of craftsmanship difficult to find in today’s market.
“I’ve taken the windows out of 12 churches at this point and offered them for sale,” said Donahue. “We do a combination of new windows, restoration, sell windows from closed churches. And even if the diocese doesn’t own it, I let the diocese make the decision [on a sale]. It’s got to be treated with respect wherever it goes.”
In the case of the resurrection scene at St. Agatha’s, the window was originally created by the Tiroler Glasmalerei of Innsbruck, Austria, a popular glassmaker of the 19th and 20th centuries that continues to operate today. Prior to installing it in St. Agatha’s, Donahue’s team restored damaged areas of the window and created smaller side windows to frame the main scene. For Father Kelly, the recycled window presented an opportunity to enhance the church while giving the artwork a new home.
“This is God opening a door. They’re going to be in heaven,” he said of the parishioners, who had not yet seen the window before last Monday’s installation. The parishioners got their first look on Easter morning, after the cloths that had covered the window during Holy Week were removed and daylight brightened the scene.
“It brings tears to your eyes,” said Robert Picard, husband to Suzanne, also a longtime St. Agatha’s parishioner.
Claire Noel, who has belonged to the parish since its founding, said she was surprised to turn around in the pew during Mass and see the finished window over the choir loft.
“It’s breathtaking, I didn’t realize it was there until Father announced it,” she said.
Father Kelly said he hopes to eventually replace all of the windows in the lower church with stained glass, possibly installing other pieces from closed churches. Donahue was happy with the way the window turned out and said he was glad the company was able to find a new location for the old stained glass.
“What a great thing for Easter, I’m so pleased,” he said. “What makes it even more perfect is that it’s in the same diocese. It was almost made to fit. Going from Providence to Woonsocket, it’s coming home.”
