Saints of Culture: St. Patrick

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St. Patrick is the great missionary monk and bishop who evangelized the people of Ireland. He lived from about 390 to 460 A.D. Together with the other windows on this side of the church, his window celebrates the marvelous ethnic diversity of the parish. He represents the Irish and other Anglos of European background who were instrumental in establishing the parish in its early years. The founding pastor of St. John’s, Rev. Msgr. Anthony McGowan, was Irish, as were all the Sisters of Mercy attached to St. John’s.

This is the primary “dedication” window of the parishioner who donated all of the stained glass windows in the church. It (together with the other windows) is dedicated with humble gratitude to the memory of Msgr. Daniel Brennan who brought the donor into the Church at St. John’s and confirmed him. The face of St. Patrick, which has no reliable iconographic tradition, resembles that of the very Irish Msgr. Brennan (while St. Patrick is often portrayed with a beard, serious studies of his iconography actually prefer a beardless St. Patrick).

St. Patrick bears the insignia of a bishop – miter, crosier, and ring. The crosier is decorated with a shamrock leaf, highlighting its effective use by St. Patrick as a tool for teaching the mystery of the Trinity. Over his green chasuble (evoking the Irish) is the white pallium with superimposed crosses which represents his role as the founding bishop of the Irish Church.

In the background is a small stone church, symbolizing the many ancient churches and dioceses which St. Patrick founded in Ireland. Shamrocks grow at his feet and snakes scurry away. Though the ancient “legend” of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland can be historically questioned, the fact that he drove out many demons (represented by snakes in the tradition of the Scriptures) remains. His crosier is planted firmly on the head of one of those unfortunate “demons”.

Kneeling at the feet of St. Patrick is an adult representative of the many thousands brought to the faith by St. Patrick as well as those who have come into the Church through the ministry of St. John the Baptist parish. He wears a simple white alb, like those worn by the catechumens on the night of their baptism at the Easter Vigil.

St. Patrick is administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to the kneeling figure. A dove overhead symbolizes the Holy Spirit received in the Sacrament. St. Patrick’s thumb is signing the forehead of the kneeling figure with the oil of Chrism, as is done by the bishop at Confirmation in our own day.

The shield in the lower panel is that of the Order of the Knights of Malta to which the donor belongs. The shield features the typical “Maltese Cross” with pointed ends on each arm of the Cross to evoke the sharp nails and thorns in Our Lord’s Passion.