The Stained Glass Windows

The Stained Glass Windows
(Originally published in Saint Michael’s 75th Anniversary Book)
Stained glass windows first adorned Christian churches in the 11th and 12th centuries. The windows served two purposes: 1) to provide beauty and light, and 2) to provide instruction for worshipers. Few people then could read and the Bible and Mass were not yet translated. Windows were designed to tell stories from Scripture.
Images play a powerful role both as art and as vehicles of worship. Stained glass windows are either pictorial (as in Saint Michael Chapel) or symbolic (as in the Church nave). Such images encroach actively and vividly on the viewer. We are encouraged to see our windows as an aid to meditation, stillness and prayer, always with eyes open to new revelation.
The original stained glass windows adorn the north and south sides of the altar, the east end of the church behind the choir loft, and run along the top of the church’s north and south walls. They were designed by Cecil Casebier (1922-1996) and were created by the Orco Studio in San Antonio. Incorporating the use of colors for purpose, the windows tell the story of the Old and New Testaments and the Church to the last day.
The colors of the stained glass represent:
WHITE without shadow, the purity and perfection of God
RED the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ
BLUE the wisdom of the Holy Spirit
GREEN the growth of all living things
BROWNS & GRAYS the earth, matter
GOLD illumination, God’s light and rule


The Creation Window
White represents the purity and perfection of God the creator as powerful swirls brood in the lower right and, under the swirls, the brown tones of earth begin to appear. Everything in the window is motion; nothing is static. The red in the lower left corner denotes: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
The Story of Salvation
The windows on the north side of the nave depict the green of growing things as the breath of God brings life to the earth. Various patterns of color represent the Fall, the Flood, the promise to Abraham, Moses and the Law, and the coming of the prophets.
The Birth of Christ
These windows portray the birth and life of Christ. The red becomes more prominent, representing the gospel narratives about His ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing.


The Crucifixion Window
The crucifixion of Christ is depicted in the large window on the north side of the nave. The red of Christ’s blood flows down toward the altar, where the Eucharist is celebrated, “having in remembrance His blessed passion and precious death, His mighty resurrection and glorious ascension.”
The Resurrection Window
The resurrection is represented in the large window on the south side of the altar. Red, the blood of Christ, the redemption of creation, rises powerfully from the altar into this window. We are a new creation in the illuminating presence and purity of God, represented by the swirling lines of yellow and white.


The History of the Church
These windows on the south side of the nave depict the history of the church since the first Easter Day with colors representing human endeavors in philosophy, art, literature, science, economic, and social action.
Full Circle
Finally, the perfection of the Last Day and the Holy Trinity (three circles) are represented as we are returned to the Creation Window.
The Columbarium Doors
The stained glass doors in the church were created by renown artist and parishioner Bart Forbes. They were commissioned to provide access to the new Nave Courtyard and Columbarium, and were installed in 2014. Forbes’ doors complement the original stained glass windows. The doors represent the Holy Spirit, depicted by the traditional symbol of a dove, and red, the color most closely associated with the Holy Spirit.
