August 15, 2024

120 year old stained-glass windows to be refurbished for St. Mary High School Chapel

REGIONAL
Staff Report

WESTFIELD – St. Mary’s High School will soon be displaying two stained glass windows in the school’s Blessed Stanley Rother Chapel. These windows once graced the former St. Mary’s Convent, which is now the parish office.  The windows feature Jesus and the Blessed Mother, and date back to 1905.

Principal Matthew Collins said he is thrilled to give these windows a place of honor on campus in the chapel, which is used by the high school staff and students.

“We are very grateful to have these beautiful stained-glass windows for our high school chapel,” said Collins. “We are proud to be caretakers of a piece of the history of St. Mary’s. We have a local expert restoring them to their original beauty and appreciate any donations to help us breathe new life into them.”

Before hanging the windows, Collins would like to restore them to their original beauty, which requires careful and expert cleaning and some restoration work. The estimated cost is $6,300 and donations are now being gratefully accepted.

The school chapel was dedicated in 2019 to Blessed Stanley Francis Rother who was born March 27, 1935, in Okarche, Oklahoma to Franz and Gertrude Rother. He grew up on a farm and attended Holy Trinity Catholic Church and School. He was ordained a priest on May 25, 1963.

At his request he went on to serve the poor in Guatemala where eventually his life was taken. In 2015 he was beatified.

Anyone interested in donating should contact Hope Tremblay at htremblay@stmsaints.org by phone at 413-568-5692 or you can send your donation to St. Mary’s High School, 27 Bartlett St., Westfield, MA 01085.

Editor’s note– You an read more on this chapel and Blessed Rother at https://iobserve.org/2019/02/03/st-marys-high-school-dedicates-chapel-to-blessed-stanley-rother/

And a video story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03JfTQqBtSM