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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

New Stained Glass Windows of Military Saints

Fr. David Friel · November 11, 2019

OVEMBER is the month of All Saints and All Souls, and today is both the feast of one of the Church’s great soldier-saints, Martin of Tours, and Veterans Day in the USA. In that spirit, it seems appropriate to share news of a set of stained glass windows featuring military-related saints that was recently crafted and installed. Now gracing the chapel of the Edwin Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS) in Washington, DC, these windows were designed and executed by Washington Art Glass Studio, based in Dunkirk, MD.

The main windows depict saints who have a particular connection to military life. These include the Roman Centurion (Mt 8:5-13; Lk 7:1-10), St. Martin of Tours, St. Joan of Arc, St. John of Capistrano, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Also included are Saints Peter & Paul, the four evangelists, symbols of the seven sacraments and the office of preaching, two episcopal coats of arms (belonging to Archbishops Joseph T. Ryan and Timothy P. Broglio, the first and current archbishops of the AMS), and six seals of the military branches and departments.

All the windows were blessed during a ceremony in early September 2019 that included readings from Sacred Scripture and the singing of psalms and hymns. In his remarks, Archbishop Broglio reflected on the significance of the occasion:

When the Church blesses stained glass windows, she does so for the following reasons: that when we look at the representations of those who followed Christ faithfully, we will be motivated to seek the city that is to come, that we will learn the way to attain complete union with Christ, that as we struggle along with our earthly cares, we will be mindful of the saints, those friends and co-heirs with Christ who are also our own brothers and sisters and our special benefactors, that we will remember how they love us, are near to us, intercede ceaselessly for us, and are joined to us in communion.

The following gallery includes photographs of the new windows.

AMS_G2 AMS_F2 AMS_E2 AMS_D2 AMS_C2 AMS_B2 AMS_A2

Two interesting things appear near the back of the chapel. First is a set of two windows side-by-side with no saints depicted. One presumes that these spaces are reserved in the hope that the canonization causes for Fr. Vincent Capodanno and Fr. Emil Kapaun will one day reach fulfillment.

Second, there are two paintings adorning the front of the balcony that, while not new, fit the overall plan of the chapel through their depiction of two additional saints with military connections. On the left appears St. George slaying the dragon, while on the right a young Fr. Angelo Roncalli (later Pope John XXIII) is shown ministering as a chaplain during World War I.

AMS_H2 AMS_Balcony2
Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

At papal Masses, the regulations against tardiness were more stringent than at Masses celebrated by cardinals or bishops. Giovanni Maria Nanino records that any singer who is not in his place—and in his vestments—by the end of the repetition of the “Introit” will be fined eight vinti. At papal Vespers, the singer who is not present at the “Gloria Patri” of the first psalm pays a fine of fifty balocchi.

— Giovanni M. Nanino (d. 1607), Papal “Maestro di Cappella”

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