About Stained Glass

St. Celestine’s birth name was Pietro Da Morrone. He was one of twelve children, born in 1215 to Italian parents. As a young man he became a Benedictine monk and lived as a hermit in the Abruzzi Mountains. His devout and ascetic lifestyle drew many followers to him and he founded an order of hermits […]

Matthias was the twelfth Apostle, chosen to replace Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide. The remaining eleven disciples identified two eligible candidates (Matthias and Joseph) and then they prayed and asked God to show His choice by casting lots. The lot fell to Matthias who was then added to the eleven. Matthias […]

Rose Venerini was born in Italy in 1656, the daughter of a physician. As a young woman she entered a convent for a few months, but then returned home after the death of her father. She began teaching the girls in her neighborhood and one thing led to another until she had founded the Religious […]

St. Philip the Apostle was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus in the first century AD. He was born in Bethsaida, Galilee and is featured in all four Gospels, especially the Gospel of John. He was called by Jesus and also brought Nathanael to the Lord. The name Philip is of Greek origin and […]

Peregrine Laziosi, born in northern Italy in the thirteenth century, was the only son of an affluent family. As a youth he became involved in an uprising against the Pope and in the process struck St. Philip who was sent to quell the unrest. Later Peregrine repented and asked forgiveness of Philip, which he bestowed […]

St. Alexandra of Rome was the wife of Emperor Diocletian. She is also sometimes known as Priscilla or Prisca. Unknown to her husband she was secretly a Christian. When her husband ordered the torture and persecution of St. George in the arena, Alexandra went and kneeled before St. George, confessing her faith publicly. This so […]

St. Athanasius of Alexandria is also known as Athanasius the Great and Athanasius the Apostolic. He is a noteworthy Egyptian leader of the fourth century, a Christian theologian, Church Father and defender of the church against doctrinal heresy. His particular life struggle was to refute the heresy of Arius who denied the divinity of Christ. […]

St. Ava was born in France in the ninth century AD. Her father was King Pepin, also known as Pepin the Short, and he was the first Carolingian King of the Middle Ages. St. Ava was miraculously cured of blindness through a saint called Rainfredis. She went on to enter a convent and became a […]

Born in northern Italy in 1347, St. Catherine of Siena was one of twins, but her twin sister did not survive. Catherine is the subject of many stained glass art designs, and holds the esteemed patronage of Italy, together with St. Francis of Assisi. She is also the patron saint of fire prevention. At the […]

St. Zita (or Sitha, or Citha) was an Italian saint of the thirteenth century, who came from a holy family. Her sister became a nun and her uncle was a hermit and saint. From the age of twelve, Zita worked as a domestic servant in the house of a wealthy weaver. She remained there for […]