St. Anthony's Stained Glass Windows (Pembina County, Historical Society Museum, ND)

St. Anthony's Church, Pembina County
Historical Society Museum

As you can see, I am expanding this blog to include other sites with interesting stained glass windows!

Last week we stayed a few days at Icelandic State Park in northeast North Dakota.  On Wednesday, we stopped by the Pembina County Historical Society Museum to visit St. Anthony's Church, which was moved to this site in 2004.  

Built in 1882, the church building is one of the oldest in the state.  It is best known for the five beautiful paintings that form a backdrop for the sanctuary.  Painted by Louis Monty in 1902, they are done on canvas stretched on the walls and therefore part of the fabric of the church building. 

Louis Monty was a well-known artist who decorated a number of churches, including the St. Boniface Cathedral and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette's church near Winnipeg, considered one of the most beautiful in the province.

 See photo on the right for a view of the church interior (taken as you enter the nave).  The photo also shows the outlines of several stained glass windows -- there are six, three on each aisle, with smaller paintings between the windows depicting the stations of the cross.

All six windows have a background of opalescent glass that glows in the sunlight.  We were there in late afternoon, so the windows on the right aisle (the annunciation, manger, and last supper) show the striking gold glow from the sun, while the three on the left side have a more opaque, bluer tone.  I believe this glass is the type Tiffany popularized; in this glass, more than one color is present and the colors are fused during firing.

Each window has a simple background design, with the image medallion in the upper half of the panel and the dedication for each window indicated in a rectangle in the bottom section. 

In the analysis below, I have shown only the medallions; see the photo at the left for an example of the full window design.  The predominate color of the medallions is blue, which provides a pleasing contrast with the opalescent white/gold background.

The six windows show us six events in Christ's life: the annunciation, His birth, the last supper, the crucifixion, the empty tomb, and the ascension.   

What I find particularly interesting about these windows is their symbolic treatment of the narrative, as the story is told through objects, without any words or people. 

The result is very moving, as the viewer must interpret the images and tell the story for him/herself, allowing symbol, light and color to evoke meaning beyond the ability of mere words.  It is also a more modern approach to stained glass design, as one must know the story in order to understand/make meaning of the images and symbols.

Therefore, while some of the windows appear quite straight-toward to me, others require a closer analysis of symbols and arrangement; what follows is simply my interpretation -- a description of what I see and think as I look at these beautiful windows.  Feel free to leave me a comment if you see something I've missed or misunderstood!

The Right (West) Aisle Windows

In the Annunciation window (top, center), we see a dove (the Holy Spirit) descending on a lily, often used to symbolize the Virgin Mary.  Below the lily is an open book, bringing to mind John 1:14, "And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us."

The Birth of Christ (bottom left) is shown simply with a star beaming down on a manger; the image reminds us that Christ is the light that "shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1:5).

The Last Supper window (bottom right) is especially rich in detail, including the grapes and wheat that become Christ's body and blood in the Eucharist.  Arising from the center image of the cup is a radiant cross with the Christogram IHS (the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek).  The use of white surrounded by light blue for the Christogram cause this part of the window to glow more brightly, showing us what's most important in interpreting the message of the window.

The Left (East) Aisle Windows

The Crucifixion window (top, left) shows us the empty cross with the inscription "INRI" (Latin, Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews -- see John 19:19) and Christ's mantle draped on the cross-bar, perhaps to signify his body.  The background is quite dark/stormy, with a glimmer of sunset at the horizon.

The next window shows us the Empty Tomb (top, right), with some of the same dark coloration, plus a brilliant sunrise that is chasing away the clouds (now turned purple rather than black).  It is a reminder of Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

The final window depicts the Ascension (bottom, center)--or perhaps a representation of the trinity.  Christ is indicated by the gold sun on the left that contains the Christogram IHS; God the father on the right by the all-seeing eye in the center of the gold sun.  The dove, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, flies above, while the interlocking Greek letters Alpha and Omega in the center remind us that Christ declares that he is the "Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 1:8).

Window Maker, Dates, and Memorials -- some unanswered questions!

So far I have not learned much about the dating of these striking windows nor their maker, which is surprising, given the excellent resources regarding the painter who created the lovely panels at the front of the church.  The only data I can find is on the windows themselves, as each panel is dedicated to a person/family.  The following information can be found on the windows:

• Window 1 (Annunciation) "In memory of George and Mr. and Mrs. DeMars, donated by Mrs. Helen DeMars and family"
• Window 2 (Manger) "In memory of Mrs. Lloyd Morrison and family, donated by Lloyd Morrison and family"
• Window 3 (Last Supper):  "In memory of all priests who served and will serve Bathgate Mission."
• Window 4 (Crucifixion):  "In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Nevin, Jack Nevin, Ann Nevin and Family, donated by Steve and Ella Nevin"
• Window 5 (Empty Tomb):  "In memory of Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Hollinger, donated by the Hollinger family"
• Window 6: (The Ascension):  "In memory of the Meagher Family, donated by Mrs. Richard Meagher, Mr. James Meagher, Mrs. James Gillis, Mrs. Austen Corbett, Mr. Thomas Meagher, Mr. Robert Meagher, and Mrs. Edward Meagher"

Using the tool "Find a Grave" and the location of St. Anthony's in Bathgate, ND, I have been able to narrow the timeline for these windows somewhat:

1. Mrs. Helen DeMars passed away in 1975.  So the windows must have been installed prior to that date.  George DeMars passed away in 1949, which provides a reasonable start date.  
2. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Morrison likewise fit within this timespan (she passed away in 1945, he in 1991).
3. The Nevin information is sparse but does not contradict the 1949-1975 date range.
4. The Hollinger family did not utilize St. Anthony's cemetery.  If the C.J. Hollinger buried in Calvary Cemetery (Reynolds, ND) is the one indicated in the inscription, he passed away in 1958.
5. Mrs. Richard Meagher passed away in 1966, while Robert Meagher passed away in 1977.  This limits the date range a little more -- from 1949-1966, or, perhaps, 1958-1966.

I asked at the Museum about any church records in their archives, but they did not have anything further (although it was close to 5:00, so my timing with this question may have impacted the answer!).  But something must have motivated the congregation to pursue memorial stained glass windows sometime during the 1950s or early 1960s.  This was a time when a number of churches added WW II  memorial windows, so perhaps this had something to do with it.

These are beautiful and unusual windows that deserve more attention!  I am hopeful that more information regarding dating, planning, and maker will be forthcoming; if you can add information, please comment below.