The Stained Glass Windows
August 21st, 2008 Posted in ShrineA beautiful stained glass window over the sanctuary depicts the young Jesus with His father, Joseph, the patron of the Shrine. Also, in the church is the St. Joseph Stained Glass Window Series, eleven in all. They are: An Angel Appears to Joseph, the Marriage of Joseph, the Birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, the Circumcision, the Purification, the Flight into Egypt, the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, Jesus at Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family and the Miracle of Fatima, the Death of St. Joseph, and St. Joseph the Protector of the Universal Church.
Joseph as Patron of Workers
The lower panels on the stained glass windows in the St. Joseph the Worker Series serve to remind us that St. Joseph is the patron of workers, the patron of all who in different ways assist in making our lives and world better and happier. These panels contain symbols representing the various trades and professions associated with the early growth and continuing development of Lowell. For example, one stained glass panel has symbols of pick and shovel, recalling to mind those workers in the1800,s who dub the canals that were used to power the mills. It’s interesting to look at the other twenty or so panels and identify what trade or profession each symbol represents.
