Thanks to generous donations from parishioners of St. Jude Church
in Fredericksburg, the church has five new stained-glass windows. Designed by
Beyers Studio in Philadelphia with a traditional style, the beautiful windows were
installed March 13 in the church that
was dedicated last July.
Three center windows illuminate the events of Holy Thursday in
the center of the right transept; two other windows, one of the Transfiguration
and one of the Nativity, are displayed on the left and right.
Nicole Flusche and her husband, Andrew, donated the three center
windows that show Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, celebrating the
Passover at the Last Supper and his agony in the garden before his Passion.
“Holy Thursday has always been extremely important to us,” said
Nicole. “So much goes on in just six hours — the institution of the Eucharist, the
priesthood. I love that we will be able to pass that on.”
For Andrew, the window installation is one more step toward the
church’s completion. “It isn’t finished until it’s finished,” said Andrew. He and Nicole both felt
called to dig deep to support the church in this way. “It’s one of the precepts
of the church,” said Nicole.
The Transfiguration window was donated by Edmond Spring and an
anonymous donor provided the funds for the Nativity window.
Spring’s wife, Gladys, died two years ago before the church was
built. He had already donated a pew in her honor, but when he heard about the
windows he felt moved to donate one too.
“The Transfiguration was one that really appealed to me,”
said Spring, who visited the spot of the Transfiguration on a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land last year. “I’m so happy that it’s all coming together.”
Donations toward the stained-glass windows are still being
accepted. When all the windows are installed, each will illuminate a different
scene from the life of Christ.
