St Cecelia

These two photos are also located in the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Mankato MN in the choir loft and seen only by the members of St. Cecelia Choir. St. Cecelia is the patron saint of music.

King David

These photos were taken by me at my parish. Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Mankato MN was founded by Jesuits just over 150 years ago and was our town's "German Catholic Church" Of course this was back when everyone settling here were immigrants. These poor folks pooled together enough money to build an incredibly beautiful church which has only been minimally wreckovated since the 1960's.

Anyway, this is a wonderful stained glass window in the Choir loft that most don't see. I especially enjoy the way King David's gazing away as he plays, assumably for the Lord Himself.

Two Angels

Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Face of Our Lord

The Holy Face of Jesus

St. Cecelia

St. Cecelia is the patroness of music

Mary at the Incarnation of Christ - Detail

You can tell this is the Blessed Virgin Mary at the moment of the Incarnation of Jesus in her womb by the rays just over her head as is traditionally depicted.

Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Queen of Heaven and Her Holy Son

Simply beautiful

Holy Family

Angel detail

Blessed Virgin Mary

St. Agnes

(photo credit)

St. Agnes is one of my favorites and is a member of my family via one of my daughter who names this beautiful virgin martyr as her confirmation saint.

January 21 is the memorial of St. Agnes of Rome in the Catholic Liturgical Calendar. Saint Agnes was 12 or 13 when she refused to marry the son of a Roman prefect. She was then condemned to death by that prefect, but Roman law didn't allow virgins to be executed, so they brought her to a brothel, where she refused to take part in the activities there. Later, a Roman officer killed her with a sword. "Agnes" means "pure" in Greek and "lamb" in Latin, so Agnes's most common symbol is a lamb. The palm branch symbolizes martyrdom. This window is part of a larger circular window in Gesu Church in Milaukee, WI.

St. Thomas Aquinas

(photo credit)

Finally, an image of St. Thomas that is actually attractive!

January 28 is the memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest theologians and philosophers of the Catholic Church. This is part of a window depicting St. Dominic receiving the Rosary (in the center), Thomas on the left, and St. Hyacinth on the right. The book he's holding translates to something like "The Word of God is not chained," from the second letter of Timothy. Does anyone know why this was important or significant in terms of Thomas? I wasn't able to find anything online about it. This window is in the Basilica of Josaphat in Milwaukee, WI.

St. Brigid

(photo credit)

February 1 is the memorial of St. Brigid of Kildare. Many legends have arisen about her life since she died in 525. She established a nunnery at Kildare. Kildare had formerly been a pagan shrine where a sacred fire was kept perpetually burning. Rather than stamping out this pagan flame, Bridget and her nuns kept it burning as a Christian symbol. Brigid is often depicted with a flame or candle. This is a window in the Shrines of the Nations in the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, MN. This is in the Irish along with a window of St. Columba and a statue of St. Patrick.

The Presentation

(photo credit)

February 2 is the feast of The Presentation of the Lord in the Catholic Liturgical Calendar. This window is in The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, at Holy Hill, Wisconsin, about 30 miles northwest of Milwaukee.

Our Lady of Mt Carmel and Purgatory

(photo credit)

St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Argyle, MN.

Very unique stained glass depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel assisting the holy souls in Purgatory and obtaining their release. Just beautiful...

Christ the King

Located in the sacristy of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, MN

St. Agatha

(photo credit)

St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay, WI.

We have little reliable information about this martyr, who has been honoured since ancient times, and whose name is included in the canon of the Mass. Young, beautiful and rich, Agatha lived a life consecrated to God. When Decius announced the edicts against Christians, the magistrate Quinctianus tried to profit by Agatha’s sanctity; he planned to blackmail her into impurity in exchange for not charging her. Handed over to a brothel, she refused to accept customers. After rejecting Quinctianus’s advances, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, her breasts were crushed and cut off with pincers. She told the judge, “Cruel man, have you forgotten your mother and the breast that nourished you, that you dare to mutilate me this way?”

Saint Peter then appeared to her and healed her. She was then imprisoned again, then rolled on live coals; another version she was rolled on broken shards of glass. When she was near death, an earthquake stuck. In the destruction that followed, a friend of the magistrate was crushed, and the magistrate fled. Agatha thanked God for an end to her pain, and died.

Legend says that carrying her veil, taken from her tomb in Catania, in procession has averted eruptions of Mount Etna. Her intercession is reported to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion in 1551.

St. Catherine of Alexandria

(photo credit)

Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Minto, ND.

Symbol: broken wheel

St. Catherine was a great theologian and was responsible for the converion of many through debate. She was condemned to death for her faith on the breaking wheel (an instrument of torture). According to legend, the wheel itself broke when she touched it, so she was beheaded.