Chapel Door Stained Glass shares the History of the Sisters of St. Joseph (part four in a series)

Everybody loves a good mystery! For the staff at the retreat center, the puzzle was deciphering the meaning of the 12 unique stained-glass squares on the St. Joseph Chapel doors. Each depicts a unique symbol—but the why and what of each symbol was a puzzle waiting to be solved! 

“When I would look at them, I would try to guess what each symbol stood for,” said Father David Huemmer, chaplain at the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center. “Some of the symbols are common Christian figures like palms, crosses, a dove and the sacred heart, but others like the coat of arms or the scissors aren’t as clear. And even recognizing it as a Christian symbol didn’t clarify who or what it stood for.” 

Father Huemmer had been told by Sister Rosie Coughlin that the door stained-glass represented the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton. But there was no way to know which image related to which part of the history. 

“If you’ve been following along with this blog series about the windows then you know that the archivist of the Congregation of St. Joseph shared the original 28-page Iconography of the Stained-Glass Windows booklet with us in 2022,” added Father Huemmer. “This document had been typed on a typewriter and included handwritten notes and markings. Scripture was written in English and French!” 

The updated Iconography binder, with new photographs and word-processed text, is available for guests to review in the lectern bookshelf just outside of the Chapel. 

“Another thing we discovered about the stained-glass in the doors was their placement,” Father added. “Originally the glass was placed image-side out so that it was visible from outside. When the chapel was renovated by the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana in 2016, it was placed image-side in so that it is visible from inside the chapel instead.” 

Each of the 12 glass panel symbols represent a saint in honor of a sister, priest or bishop who was instrumental in the history of the order in Tipton. 

The mysteries continue with the original description of the dove window—the left-side window on the west door. The original iconography states “A dove (symbol justified by her name as for her homonyms Cordua and Colmbre. (In French: symbole motive par le nom comme pour ses homonym es de Cordoue et de Colmbre.) We can find that ‘la columbe’ is ‘dove’ in French. St. Columba of Iona is called ‘the dove of the church;’ but there is also a female St. Columba of Cornwall who converted when the holy spirit appeared to her in the form of a dove. The other unsolved mystery is the association of the homonyms Cordua and Colmbre. Regardless, this window was established in honor of Mother Columba Stack (February 18, 1888-February 19, 1960). Mother Columba was the Novice mistress and fourth Mother General. (West door, first row, left.) 

The crown of thorns image represents Saint Catherine of Siena who had a vision where Christ offered her a choice of a crown of gold or crown of thorns, and she accepted the crown of thorns and bore the wounds of Christ. This window is in honor of Sister Katharine Bradley, pioneer sister and teacher. St. Katharine Hall, the still-standing gymnasium, is named after Sister Katharine. (West door, first row, right.) 

In honor of Father Anthony Kroeger (January 25, 1854-May 25, 1921), the first spiritual director of Sisters of St. Joseph in Tipton, is a window of fish with heads out of water. In a story from the life of St. Anthony, when people refused to listen to him, he turned to the lake where fish heads appeared above water to hear his words. Fr. Kroeger also helped facilitate the purchase of this campus in 1900. (West door, middle row, left.) 

Palms represent martyrdom and Saint Aloysius Gonzaga died as a ‘martyr of charity’ while caring for victims of a serious epidemic. This window honors Sister Mary Aloysia (Marguerite) Shields (February 22, 1870-December 14, 1930) who was an early member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, entering in 1893. (West door, middle row, right.) 

In honor of Father Leo D. Faurote (August 24, 1883-November 26, 1954), the Chaplain with the longest tenure, 1940-1954, is a Papal coat of arms for Pope Saint Leo the Great. (West door, bottom row, left.) 

The final window of the western door honors three bishops, all named John, who were instrumental in the history of the Sisters. Bishop John F. Noll (January 25, 1875–July 31, 1956) served the Diocese of Fort Wayne, of which Tipton was a part of, from 1925 until his death in 1956. Bishop John G. Bennett (January 20, 1891-November 20, 1957) was the first Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana (1944–1957) serving during the construction of the Motherhouse and Chapel, and Bishop John J. Carberry (July 31, 1904–June 17, 1998) was the second Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana (1957–1965) serving during the dedication of this facility. The eagle and book of gospels represent Saint John the Evangelist. (West door, bottom row, right.) 

Mysteries continue on the east door. When the chapel was renovated in 2016, the stained glass was replaced in a different order! 

Original Order/New Order 

1. Saint Gertrude/Saint Francois de Sales 

2. Saint Teresa of Avila/Saint Gertrude 

3. Saint Xavier/Saint Teresa of Avila 

4. Saint Francois de Sales/Saint Xavier 

5. Saint Vincent/Saint Agatha 

6. Saint Agatha/Saint Vincent 

The new first window features a hand on a chest and a globe of fire representing a vision of Saint Francois de Sales. The window is in honor of Pioneer Sister Mary de Sales Burns (June 12, 1864-December 28, 1934) who was the first religious superior of the former Good Samaritan Hospital in Kokomo. She was also a patron of the Sisters of St. Joseph community. (East door, first row, left.) 

In honor of Mother Gertrude Moffitt (December 4, 1852-April 28, 1916), the Foundress of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton as well as a teacher, is an open heart in which the child Jesus is seen. This image is based on visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who appeared to St. Gertrude the Great under many representations. (East door, first row, right.) 

The image of an angel putting an arrow in a heart represents Saint Teresa of Avila and the transverberation or transpiercing of the heart which is a mystical grace wherein the Saint’s heart was pierced with a “dart of love” by an angel. This window honors Sister Theresa Thistlewaite (1859-January 8, 1929), the co-foundress of the Sisters of St. Joseph. (East door, middle row, left.) 

Mother Mary Xavier Donahue (October 26, 1866-May 19, 1939) of Kokomo was the second Mother General and a teacher. She is honored by a vessel and a lily which represents St. Xavier’s missionary work and purity. (East door, middle row, right.) 

Thunder, fire and the scissors with which her breasts were cut, represent St. Agatha, an early virgin martyr of the church. It honors Mother Agatha Roswog (November 9, 1876-November 18, 1959), the third Mother General who served during the Great Depression. (East door, bottom row, left.) 

The first nurse of the community, Sister Mary Vincent Toursher, (1896-November 6, 1925), is honored by a stole and crucifix representing St. Vincent de Paul who is known for his direct care of children and the poor. (East door, bottom row, right.) 

To see the St. Joseph Chapel door stained glass images along with a picture of the person who inspired the image, follow this link https://www.stjosephretreat.org/chapel-doors 

“As we learn about the Sisters of St. Joseph, the building and chapel, and the stained-glass windows, we discover more mysteries that intrigue the curious mind,” added Father Huemmer. “There is joy in the discovery and the thrill of diving into new mysteries that come about as we explore more the unique history of this place. And then, we get to share it with guests who visit the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center.  
 

The archivist from the Congregation of St. Joseph recently shared the original 28-page Iconography of the Stained-Glass Windows of the St. Joseph Chapel booklet with the retreat center. Updated, and available for guests to review in the lectern bookshelf just outside of the Chapel, it is the basis for a series of blog articles about the chapel stained glass. 

To read part one of the Iconography of the Stained Glass of the St. Joseph Chapel, follow this link https://stjosephretreat.org/blog/stained-glass-in-the-st-joseph-chapel-tells-a-story-of-salvation-part-one  

Find part two, “Praying the Rosary with the stained glass in the St. Joseph Chapel,” at this link https://www.stjosephretreat.org/blog/pray-the-rosary-with-the-stained-glass-in-the-st-joseph-chapel-part-two-of-a-series. Follow this link to find the stained-glass rosary images and find a pocket guide to praying the rosary along with the images  https://www.stjosephretreat.org/st-joseph-chapel-stained-glass 

Find part three, “Stained Glass in the Nave illuminates the lives of Jesus, Mary & Joseph,” at this link https://www.stjosephretreat.org/blog/stained-glass-in-the-nave-illuminates-the-lives-of-jesus-mary-joseph