The Windows
at
Saint Aloysius
 
The Journey

St. Aloysius’ windows were in very bad shape and needed to be replaced with energy efficient glass.  The coloured panes were removed and replaced with clear energy efficient glass.  First, the choir loft window was replaced in 2003.  At that time the coloured glass was used to make small ornaments and sold and put towards the cost of the new windows.
In early 2012, the windows in the body of the Church were updated with energy efficient glass, and the original wood frames were replaced.  The glass was set to be sent to landfill, but two parishioners salvaged the almost 300 pieces of glass and quietly stored the glass in their storage locker.  A business plan was presented to Father Kuzma, to resurrect the glass and use it to make stained glass crosses to offset the high cost of energy efficient windows.  A small group of 6 energetic, but very inexperienced parishioners quickly grew to a team of about 20 after a parish picnic.  Crosses led to four different styles of angels, stars, peace doves, night lights and picture frames.

2013 was to be the Parish’s 60 ^th anniversary, a special event that needed to be celebrated in a special way.  The team began to appreciate stained glass in other parishes, other cities and provinces.  When sharing pictures after a vacation, the team admired a window of St. Aloysius found in St. John’s Basilica, St. John Newfoundland.  Knowing that it was highly unlikely that we could raise the almost $300,000.00 to have our windows professionally made, we considered attempting to create a window in honour of the parish’s 60 ^th anniversary.  In June 2013, the Stained-Glass Guild, as we became known as, presented Father Jerome with a full-sized window of St. Aloysius for the parish office.  In six months, we taught ourselves how to create an entire window.
The guild began to discuss the future of the team, as demand slowed for the angels and crosses. There was still a sizable about of glass remaining, so our attention turned to the body of the Church.  We were still not able to afford professionally painted glass as we had hoped, but with fresh confidence, we revisited options for the windows.  We knew we could tackle the cross in the windows, but we needed to find a way to depict the saints in the center of the cross.  For the next year or so the guild dabbled with different ideas.  In 2015 a business plan was created to create 14 unique windows and presented it to Father Jerome.  Father Jerome presented the business plan to Monsignor Kroetsch and Monsignor Kroetsch presented the plan to Bishop Crosby for approval.
While the plan was under consideration, the guild started researching painting and firing of glass, how the windows would be mounted and what kind of glass we would use to supplement the original coloured glass that we had safely stored.  The guild sought out arts teachers, and artisans within the parish community, and the greater community.  While we engaged in new processes, the centuries-old art of painting glass was still a mystery.  It seemed that those who knew the process were either unable or unwilling to teach the guild.  Finally, in late 2016, one of the guild came across information from the United Kingdom on the process.