THE VISUAL CHURCH


BAPTISMAL AREA – As you enter the Church you will notice to your right a Baptismal Font.  It was a part of the old church.  It is made of variegated Italian marble.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS – 14 stations depicting Christ’s passion are found on the side and rear walls of the Sanctuary. They were brought to us from Belgium by our first pastor, Father Du, and were a part of the old church. They are bronze.

CHRISTUS REX CROSS – This cross is found on the left wall, near the altar area, above the exit.  It was handmade by a man seeking employment during hard times. He was hired to paint the old church.  To show his appreciation he made the cross by hand for the church.

CROSS FROM THE STEEPLE OF THE OLD CHURCH – The steeple cross was taken from the old church and is placed on the wall of the front stairwell, along with the original cornerstone.

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS – The windows were designed and executed by Baut Studios of Swoyersville, PA. The left side windows depict what God gives us through the church. The right side windows depict what we offer God through the Church.  The windows are made of Danziger glass.  The main window is of patented, aluminum clad construction which bonds mouth-blown, antique glass in an oxy resin between sheets of textured dyranidic aluminum. It gives a design of the cross both day and night, inside and out, with light shining through the window or reflecting on it.

MEANINGS OF THE WINDOWS

SACTUARY WINDOW (CROSS) – The symbolic interpretation of the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ lies within the golden frame of the Celtic cross, a symbol of eternal life. Central to the cross is a heart, pierced by the nail-like lines, surrounded by darkness and an interlaced crown of thorns. These images recall the suffering of Jesus on the cross, shedding His Precious Blood for our sins. Yet, the colors surrounding the heart grow brighter just as the light of redemption flows from His suffering and death. And His Precious Blood, through the Eucharist, becomes the golden cup of our salvation.

PRAISE – We come to the church to praise God for He is good and wonderful. With music of harps and lyres, organs and guitars, with choirs and songs we celebrate that God is our Father and we are his children.

This window is found in the area of the choir and organ.

THANKS – We come to thank God for all we have; our health, material and spiritual blessings, talents, happiness, and opportunities. We thank God for the abundance of His gifts and the joy of sharing them with others.

PETITION – The pelican is the symbol of petition, depicting the great love of a mother for her young. So intense is this love that she draws blood from her breast to nourish them. No request is impossible and our pleas are heard. “Ask and you shall receive,” Jesus assures us.

ATONEMENT – Often we come to church in need of forgiveness, to be reconciled with God and with our brothers and sisters. The ceremony of atonement is symbolized in the living water flowing over open hands, seeking purification and reconciliation. We want to be reconciled before we bring our gift to the altar. This window is placed close to the confessional.

LIFE – The shell and flowing water symbolizes the life we receive in baptism. As we celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in the Eucharist, we recall that we were baptized in Christ’s life and death and received the promise and first fruits of the fullness of eternal life

SPIRIT – We, who are nourished by Christ’s body and blood, are filled with His Holy Spirit.

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, love, and reverence in God’s service. As we go back to our daily tasks, the Holy Spirit energizes our life with His presence according to our particular needs.

WORD – Through Jesus, God speaks to us the Word of life. And as we listen to God’s word in the readings from the old and new testament and apply it to our lives, we hear the Holy Word. The stole around the Bible symbolizes the power of God’s word addressed to us as individuals and as a community of believers.

EUCHARIST – The loaves and fishes recall the miracle of feeding the multitudes. It reminds us that Jesus is the only food that satisfies the hunger, longing, and search for happiness and fulfillment. In the Eucharist, Jesus made himself the Bread of Life. “No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry,” Jesus said.

MERCY – The Ark of the Covenant symbolizes the promise of God’s faithfulness to his people. “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Because of our unfaithfulness, God’s faithfulness shows itself more frequently in loving mercy. We go home after our celebration with the reassurance that God’s merciful love goes with us.