St. Paul restoring original stained glass windows
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
St. Paul Catholic Church has begun a stained glass window restoration project. It was determined that the original stained glass windows are living on borrowed time. ?They started slipping down in the frame, and they can shatter from extreme heat, like we had last summer,? said Sally Schaar, chairwoman of the Stained Glass Window Restoration Project (SGWRP) committee.
Serious defects were detected and four of the windows are critical. ?It has been fortunate the windows have not shattered,? said Schaar.
Father Joseph Iannuzzi named eight parishioners to the committee: Sandy Breed, Barb Ellenberger, Ron Horrocks, Ryan Howell, Sharyl Leonard, Mike O?Meara, Martin Osantowski and Schaar to check the references of restoration companies and travel to survey the work of the companies, recommend a firm and begin fundraising.
NEW PRIEST, Fr. Arthur Duchnowicz and the parish council hired Thompson Glass Company of Brighton following the recommendation of the SGWRP committee. They will remove St. Louis, St. Hubert, St. Jude and St. Anne and carefully transport them to the studio where they will be completely dismantled.
The glass will be cleaned in a non-ionic surfactant and any broken glass needing to be replaced will be matched to the style of
The windows will be re-leaded with an exact size and profile as the original lead. The windows will be re-installed and caulked in place using the highest-grade sealants. Several fundraisers are scheduled. The first is a pig roast this weekend.
The community is invited and the donation is a good will offering. There also will be a hayride/hobo stew in October and a parish rummage sale and feather party, both scheduled for November. Duchnowicz and the parishioners are enthusiastic about preserving the beautiful and inspirational windows.
There are 14 windows 36? x 96? at $7,800 apiece and several small windows that need be restored. The windows are more than 50 years old. There will be naming opportunities in the form of plates and plaques for various donations.