Pentecost
The yearly feast of Pentecost, which commemorates the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the birth of the Church, is an underrated feast. Though on the same par with Christmas and Easter, it gets none of the credit or pageantry. Yet back in the day, St. Leo the Great (5th century) declared that Pentecost was “among the greatest of the Feasts” because of the surpassing gift of the Spirit himself.
As you recall, back in 2023 our parish ran the Love One Another Campaign through the Archdiocese in order to raise funds for two stated purposes: the installation of stained glass windows in the church, and the repairing and resurfacing of the parking lot. We are ready to strike on the first goal, and our Stained Glass Committee has chosen to work with Inspired Artisans, a local Catholic art studio, to design and install a stained glass window of the scene of Pentecost above the sanctuary.
We chose the subject of Pentecost for the stained glass window for several reasons. As the birthday of the Church, it has the ability to remind all of us of our baptismal call to grow in holiness with the Spirit’s aid. The Holy Spirit penetrates every aspect of our lives, but does so subtly and gently. The Spirit’s power descending upon the apostles also calls to mind the gift of Confirmation which emboldens us to proclaim the gospel in our daily lives. The Spirit sends us out into the neighborhoods, schools, clubs, and workplaces of Oak Creek, Franklin, Caledonia and beyond to bring others to Jesus. Our Mother Mary’s presence in the center reminds us of her maternal protection in all we do. Finally, our patron Saint Stephen can be considered a fruit of that initial gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. It was the influx of believers that brought the apostles to share their ministry with the early deacons like Stephen. He, “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5), went out to preach Jesus Christ by his words and actions, and suffered death as the first witness (martyr) to the Church’s faith. He remains an active cooperator from Heaven with the Holy Spirit in strengthening our parish, and we can count on his intercession every day. The window will also include the figure of St. Paul, the once persecutor of Stephen (Acts 7:58) and now a fellow brother in the faith of Christ who preached the gospel to the end of the known world.
We are excited about this next phase in our parish history! Minor alterations to the existing window will occur during the summer months with the installation of the stained glass window to occur in the late fall/early winter. Please pray for the success of this project and consider donating either by continuing your existing Love One Another pledge or making a donation to the Legacy Fund! If you ever have questions, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. Know of my prayers and thanks again for your generosity that makes such a cool project like this possible!