August 20, 2024 // Diocese
Donors Help Realize Dream of Stained-Glass Windows
When the current St. Pius X Church building was designed, former Pastor Monsignor William Schooler remembers that the parish had to make a $1 million budget cut before construction. “So, we cut the stained-glass windows,” Father Schooler told Today’s Catholic before his retirement earlier this summer. “Stained-glass windows can always be added later.”
Almost 10 years later, anonymous parishioner donors generously funded new stained-glass windows, consisting of three rose windows and two rectangular windows, which were installed in June.
All images courtesy of Rick Podrasky of Alliance Architects
This is the finished and installed Beatitudes window, with the prophet windows beneath.
Rick Podrasky of Alliance Architects was first approached to work on the stained-glass project in March of 2023. Podrasky and his family have been parishioners at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Granger since 2007, and Podrasky worked on the new church when it was built in 2016.
Father Schooler and Podrasky both described St. Pius X as a “teaching church.” “All of the art and architecture contribute to teaching the Catholic faith in some way,” Podrasky said. With that in mind, it was important to them that the new stained-glass windows would prove instructive and not just visually appealing. The church building already had elements referencing the Gospels, the apostles, and various Catholic doctrines, so collaborators decided that the rose windows would showcase the beatitudes and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. When they pitched this idea to the donors, the donors were thrilled, as they had just returned from the Church of the Beatitudes during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
The donation of the three rose windows was framed as a gift in honor of Father Schooler, who, before his retirement, served as pastor at St. Pius for more than 20 years. With his retirement in mind, the donors decided to also fund two prophet windows, fulfilling a wish of Father Schooler’s to finish the series of prophet windows in the church.
This is a rendering of the window featuring the prophet Ezekiel.
This is a rendering of the window featuring the prophet Isaiah.
Podrasky had another idea of how to honor Father Schooler in the finished product. Father Schooler’s youngest brother had Down syndrome, and Father Schooler helped start the Children of St. Angela Merici ministry at the parish, which provides catechesis for the special needs community. To honor that (and with some personal investment, as his own daughter has Down syndrome), Podrasky found a photograph of Father Schooler’s brother so they could draw him into one of the designs. Father Schooler’s brother appears in the Beatitudes window, under the medallion “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.”
Lynchburg Stained Glass made the windows, and company artisan Rich Buswell collaborated with Podrasky on the design. Much of the inspiration for the rose windows came from the rose windows in Our Lady of Chartres Cathedral in France, as Podrasky said they were going for a more “medieval” look.
The designers wanted to ensure that all windows matched the current church structure and art. For example, on the prophet windows in the back, Podrasky included an acanthus plant border and mosaic-style background to match the mosaics of St. Peter and Pope St. Pius X at the front of the church. Much of the prophet window inspiration came from Father Dan Scheidt, a former associate pastor at St. Pius who provided Scripture passages and symbolism for the prophet windows installed in the church in 2016. Father Scheidt is currently the pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Fort Wayne.
Another concern was that the stained-glass windows would overwhelm the already-colorful church. “The decorations and colors in the church would be muted if we added stained-glass windows throughout the church,” Father Schooler said. So, the windows that were installed had a less vibrant, sea-glass feel, Podrasky said.
This is a rendering of the finished beatitudes window.
This is a rendering of the finished window highlighting the corporal works of mercy.
This is a rendering of the finished rose window highlighting the spiritual works of mercy.
Throughout the process of budgeting, design, production, and installation, the church and the architects reported to the diocese’s Sacred Art and Architecture Committee, which provided reviews and direction. Podrasky called the collaboration “very supportive.” “Everyone wants to have a beautiful and lasting product in the end,” Podrasky said. “And on top of that, you want it to be theologically correct.”
After four days of installation, including some special scaffolding to accommodate the organ pipes, the windows were ready for the parish community to enjoy. Throughout the process, artisans provided images of the final product to parishioners and stressed the higher goal for the windows.
“That art is not for the artist’s glory at all,” Podrasky said.
This is an early sketch for a medallion on the Beatitudes window, depicting the beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Most sketches were completed by Rich Buswell of Lynchburg Stained Glass.
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