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.

The Carol Simonson Goven Stained Glass Panel

 The Carol Simonson Goven stained glass panel was created by local physician Dr. Maltiera Machayya, designed with the assistance of Carol's daughter, Dr. Gigi Goven.  Currently the panel hangs in the West entry window, just outside the church office.

Carol Goven was a long-time member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, from the time she and her family moved to Valley City in 1958 until her passing in 2005.  She was active in Bible study, the Mary circle, and the Good Samaritan quilters.

The theme of the window is "Have Faith," based on Mark 4:36-41:

And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (KJV)

In the image, we see a man (Christ) standing in the prow of a ship, his arms raised.  Behind him (on the right), we see the rough storm at sea, represented by swirled blue glass and the dark, maroon clouds above.  In front of him, we see the calm sky and quiet blue of the sea; the storm is over, with Jesus spreading his arms to protect us.  

Dr. Goven explains, "So the message we wanted to show was to have faith throughout the storms of your life, and Jesus will be with you."

More details regarding Carol Goven's life and the development of the panel may be found in the OSLC Archives (Stained Glass folder).

A Few Notes about Halos

Halos have long been a visual sign for those who "read" through images.  The halo designates goodness and divine presence, helping the viewer identify who's who in the picture.  Certain halo designs are restricted to particular people or individuals of a particular period.  A square halo, for example, was used by some artists to designate a "saint" who was alive at the point the work was created.

In the Connick windows at OSLC, we see three basic halo types, in three colors -- gold, white, and red, often in some combination within the same panel.  So far I don't see a clear pattern to the use of halo color -- it seems more to connect to the color needs of the panel.

The tri-radiant halo, symbolizing the Trinity, is a circle with three bars.  The bars may be red (illustrated below) or gold.  It's used only for representations of Jesus:

Most of the other individuals depicted with halos have a simple, circular white or yellow disc; this would include the holy family, angels, Jesus' followers, and those doing good works (the Good Samaritan in top right image below).  In the images below, also note Jesus' tri-radiant halo (red bars in infancy; gold bars in adulthood). 

However, a certain group of individuals depicted have strikingly different halos -- David, Samuel, Moses, and Elijah (the Sacristy Windows and Window 5b, the Transfiguration).  These individuals are all from the Old Testament, and their halos differentiate them accordingly.  

David's and Samuel's halos look like a red circle with white triangles or spikes:

Elijah and Moses have halos with a similar design but without the color.  In the image below, note the contrast in halos between the three apostles (Peter, James, John) on the left and the two Old Testament figures (Moses and Elijah) on the right, while Jesus has a tri-radiant halo:

(Left:  Image Medallion from Window 5b; Right: Close-up of Moses and Elijah)

At this point I do not have a name for this type of halo, except that it looks somewhat similar to the cusped octagonal halo identified by Daniel Mitsui as one developed by some artists in 15th century Spain and "used only for saints in the Old Testament."  

The image below, taken from "Adoration of the Magi" by Blasco de Grañén, shows three different halos, including Joseph (top left) with the cusped octagonal halo, Mary with a gold disc, and Christ with three crosses dividing his halo (a variation of the tri-radiant halo). Because Joseph died before the resurrection, he would be classed with those saints in the Old Testament who similarly waited for the resurrection to release them from Hell/Limbo.

A portion of
"Adoration of the Magi"
by  Blasco de Grañén

Obviously Joseph's halo doesn't look much like the Old Testament halos in the OSLC windows, but its cusps remind me of the white triangles/spikes in David/Samuel's halos, and the pattern that Mitsui identifies, of using this halo for saints who died prior to the resurrection, is the same pattern used by Connick in the OSLC windows. 

More information would be welcome--I hope you will contact me if you have knowledge to share on this topic!

Only God is Perfect....

 There appears to be an ongoing discussion about whether artists in some cultures add an imperfection to their work to demonstrate that only the divine creator is perfect, while human creation always falls short in some way.  

For example,  there is a long-standing tradition (myth?) of quilters (Amish or otherwise) placing a "humility block" in a patchwork quilt.  Others suggest that Native American weaving or Japanese pottery often contains a deliberate flaw for this reason (see this article on "The Art of Deliberate Imperfection" for more details and examples).  A similar claim is often made to explain irregularities in medieval illuminations

As a friend and fellow quilter once noted in response to this, it is all too easy to make mistakes in piecing, drawing, and writing -- It's already imperfect, without any need to add deliberate imperfections!

Which brings us to the beautiful Connick windows: are there errors or the equivalent of "humility blocks" in the artisan's work?  Here are a few discrepancies that members of the congregation have noted; whether they are deliberate or not is not something we can ever know, but I pass them on here as points of interest:

1.  The Misplaced Star. (Thanks to Rich Scheunenman for pointing this out!)

In the right lancet window at the front of the church, in the lower right side, you will notice a star that is out of place--it sits above, rather than below, the adjacent blue square.  

UPDATE:  I was informed (6/8/25) that this "error" was made by the individual who re-leaded this window in 1986.  The windows on the West end of the church were bowed, and they removed the windows to correct this problem.  In replacing the glass, the craftsman (who laid the whole window out on the basement floor!) incorrectly reversed these pieces.  So we are still reminded of man's imperfection, but it is not the "fault" of the original artisan.  Thanks to Melvin Olstad for this information.  Mr. Olstad is a good friend of the artisan who repaired the window.

2.  The Smiley Face.  (Thanks to Diane Hochhalter for identifying this!)

In the 9th window (panel 9a, The Garden of Gethsemene), there is a smiley face in the flower just behind Jesus' head.  Was it meant, or is this an example of a happy accident of decoration?

3. Inverted Installation of two windows in the Sacristy.  This would be the "fault" of the architect or installer, not the artist.  It may well have been the decision of the pastor at the time.

Since the Sacristy windows are set separately (not part of a single window), it was possible to mount them in the wrong order.  Connick Associates signed all their paired windows in the lower right corner of the RIGHT window.  In the Sacristy, however, the signature is in the lower right corner of the LEFT window, suggesting that the installer mixed up the two panels or it was decided after the windows were made to install Samuel on the left and David on the right.  Since both images look up (to the right), it is not clear which one should be on the left side without looking for the signature.

Lower right corner of the LEFT window.

Bottom of left window (Samuel), with signature visible in lower right corner.

Actual installation of the two windows, with Samuel on the left and David on the right.

• 
  

Apostles Window: St. Thomas

St. Thomas:  Blessed are they that have not
seen and yet have believed (John 20:29b)

 The last window on the East wall (farthest to the right) depicts St. Thomas, holding a carpenter's square.

The verse in the open book at his feet remind us of his best-known attribute -- doubting Thomas, who will not believe that Christ has risen until he sees Him in person.  To him, Christ says, 

"Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29).

Tradition holds that St. Thomas was a missionary to India, where he built many churches.  Therefore, he holds a carpenter's (or architect's) square, to represent his missionary work in Southern Asia.  

There are a number of stories about St. Thomas' ministry and martyrdom in India, as well as some writings, including an apocryphal Acts of St. Thomas and a collection of stories about Jesus' childhood (The Infancy Gospel of Thomas).

His tomb is said to be in Santhome Church in Chennai, India.

His feast day is December 21.

The cross depicted in many churches dedicated to St. Thomas use a "Nasrani" or St. Thomas cross (see image below).  This cross is an empty cross, symbolizing the resurrection.  

St Thomas Cross
Source:  Wikimedia Commons

The dove above the cross symbolizes the Holy Spirit, while the cross rests on a lotus-shaped bowl which could represent the menorah (from the Jewish faith) or a lotus (from the Buddhist tradition), suggesting that Jesus' empty cross (the resurrection) surmounts or replaces the older religious faiths of the community.

Prayer (from the Lutheran Book of Worship):

Almighty and ever-living God, you have given great and precious promises to those who believe.  Grant us that perfect faith which overcomes all doubts, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Apostles Window: St. Matthew

The final two windows on the East wall of the Apostles Chapel are linked by their blue background.  Second from the right (South) is St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.

St. Matthew:  Let your light so shine
 before men that they may 
see your good works" (Matt 5:16)

St. Matthew carries the book of his gospel and holds a purse, suggesting his calling:

"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, Follow me.  And he rose and followed him" (Matt 9:9).

He is again described as "Matthew the tax collector" in Matthew 10:3, in the list of the 12 disciples.  

The purse, therefore, represents the work he abandoned to follow Jesus.  

Christian tradition from the early 2nd century identifies Matthew as the author of the gospel that bears his name, although some scholars today question this belief.  

Tradition also places Matthew as a missionary to Ethiopia; his tomb is located in the crypt of Salerno Cathedral in Southern Italy.

His feast day is September 21.

Prayer from the Lutheran Book of Worship:

Almighty God, your Son our Savior called a despised collector of taxes to become one of his apostles.  Help us, like Matthew, to respond to the transforming call of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Apostles Window: St. Paul

St. Paul:  "Blessed be God the 
Father of Mercies" (II Corinthians 1:3)

The fourth window from the left, paired with St. Peter in terms of color (a red background), presents St. Paul.  Although not one of the original twelve, St. Paul considered himself an apostle because he also saw Jesus in person on the road to Damascus, and he was commissioned by Jesus to preach to the Gentiles.  

Many of his letters begin, "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ..." (I Cor. 1:1), and he defines his "calling" in Galations 1:15-16: "But when it pleased God...to reveal his Son to me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles."  

The Lord similarly defines his calling in Acts 9:15:  "For he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel."

In the image medallion, Paul carries a sword, the symbol of his martyrdom:  he was beheaded in Rome by order of Nero, sometime between AD 64-68.  

According to legend, his head bounced three times, and a fountain sprang up each place the head touched.  The Church of St. Paul at the Three Fountains was built at the site of his martyrdom in the 5th century; today the three fountains are capped because of pollution, but are still visible.

Therefore, Paul also carries a book (which reminds us of his many letters in the Bible) with the three fountains depicted on its cover.

St. Paul has two celebrations in the Church calendar: 

 (1) The Conversion of St. Paul, celebrated January 25 

(2) The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles, celebrated June 29

Prayer (from the Lutheran Book of Worship):

Lord God, through the preaching of your apostle Paul, you established one Church from among the nations.  ... [W]e pray that we may follow his example and be witnesses to the truth in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.