Saint Louis Sacrament Windows
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Church of the Transfiguration, Philadelphia
A closer view of the seven sacrament windows over the altar in the original church.
Church of the Transfiguration, Philadelphia.
This shows the seven sacraments as originally installed over the main altar. Most of the stained glass windows in the St Mary Cathedral in Austin were made by Zettler as well.
Church of the Transfiguration, Philadelphia
History
All of the stained glass windows in the St. Louis chapel came from the Church of the Transfiguration in Philadelphia. The following is a brief history of that church out of respect for those who loved these windows as much as we do now.
The Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord in Philadelphia began as a small wooden structure built on farmland in 1905, but by the 1920s the parish has expanded to warrant a larger building for worship.
In 1925, a lower level of the new church was constructed and open to services, while the more elaborate upper level was worked on and completed in 1928. This new edifice was one of Philadelphia's largest churches at the time, and the combined levels could seat over 2,100 people.
Designed by Henry D. Dagit, the exterior was of a solid stone construction, and faience tiles and mosaics adorned the interior in almost every corner.
The windows originated from world-famous Zettler stained glass in Munich, and twelve varieties of marble clad the pillars, altars, and steps were quarried from Italy and France. A massive 1,200 sq. ft. mosaic was installed above the altar depicting the Crucifixion, using 3/8 square glass tiles set by hand. The church was affectionately nicknamed "Transy" by the local parishioners in later years.
When the area's demographic began to shift away from the Irish Catholic families who worshiped here, the parish's congregation dwindled, as did the funds needed to maintain this massive structure. In 2000, the church merged with St. Carthage, however the Archdiocese opted to keep Carthage's building and shuttered the historic Transfiguration campus instead of making the necessary repairs and maintenance.
It was soon purchased by a con-artist who promised to transform various closed churches into community centers, but spent the money on himself until he was sent to prison.
The property was subsequently bought by The Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, who, only being interested in the school that was on the property, quickly proceeded to demolish the rectory and church. In 2009, almost all of Transfiguration's beautiful tile work, marble, and limestone carvings were destroyed and tossed into a landfill despite local efforts to salvage these materials.
References: https://opacity.us/site269_transfiguration_of_our_lord.htm
https://www.abandonedamerica.us/church-of-transfiguration
https://philadelphiastudies.org/category/church-of-the-transfiguration/
Sacrament Window #1
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
The angel's medallion shows an hour glass with wings above the jar containing chrism oil (sacrum chrisma, marked as SC on the jar).
The hour glass with wings symbolizes that human existence is fleeting, and that the "sands of time" will run out for every human life.
There are three oils used in the church:
OI - Oleum infirmorum
Used in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. The chalice in the window should be marked OI instead of SC.
OC - Oleum catechumenorum
The "Oil of Catechumens" The Oil of Catechumens is used in connection with the sacrament of baptism.
SC - Sacrum Chrisma
Holy Chrism, the oil used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and holy orders, since they impart an indelible sacramental character.
Sacrament #7
Sacrament of Holy Orders
The angel's medallion depicts the host over the chalice, surrounded with a stoll marked by a cross.
Saint Louis Vespers 4 Aug 2019
Blue in iconography represents transcendence, mystery, and the divine. It is the color of the sky and as a result is viewed as a heavenly color.
Red in contrast is seen as an earthly color, the color of blood.
Jesus is typically depicted in icons with a blue outer garment and a red inner garment, symbolizing how divinity wraps his humanity.
Mary on the other hand is seen with a red outer garment and a blue inner garment, representing how she carried divinity (Jesus) within her humanity.
View of chapel during vespers
