Stained glass windows offer inspiration to donors and students

When Bishop Michael Mulvey commissioned 19 stained glass windows for the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel at Texas A&M University-Kingsville back in 2014, a great deal of thought was given to what specific Biblical images would be featured on the windows.

“We asked the students for their input on which Catholic parables they would like to see depicted on the windows,” Bishop Mulvey said, during a special Mass and dinner held especially for donors in early November at the Kingsville chapel.

“The images on these windows reflect the beautiful lives of saints. Each window has a unique history and is special in its own way. The top three images the university students wanted to see were the Prodigal Son, the Last Supper and Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. This chapel serves the students here on campus, so it was only fitting they have significant say in what images they would see on the stained glass windows in their church,” the bishop said.

The stained glass windows were made possible by the generous donations of 23 donors, some who teamed together as a group to sponsor one window. Some donors chose to memorialize a loved one, while others wanted to leave a legacy for future generations.

Lupe Ruiz, a parishioner at St. Martin’s in Kingsville since 1954, was delighted to learn of the opportunity to sponsor a stained glass window at the chapel on behalf of his parish.

“I feel there is an importance for churches to support each other. St. Martin’s felt the opportunity to support St. Thomas through the co-sponsorship of a window. Our name will be inscribed for eternity, or until a new church is built. Of course we also wanted to show support for one of our own. Father Peter Stanley grew up attending St. Martin,” said Ruiz, who attended the Mass for donors in November with his wife, Ilda, on behalf of St. Martin.
Cande De Leon, director of the Office of Parish Stewardship and Development for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, said the stories behind why families came together to sponsor a window were truly inspirational.

“It was a pleasure witnessing their generosity to support such a beautiful chapel. It was inspiring hearing the stories of why many of the donors paired a particular saint or Bible story to a window so they could memorialize a loved one. From veterans, athletes or patriarchs of a family, every window has a story behind why it was chosen for a loved one,” he said.

Elaine Haby, 20, is currently president of the Catholic Student Organization for Texas A&M-Kingsville. An animal science pre-vet major, Haby said seeing a community come to together for the chapel was a special show of devotion not only for the church, but for the students, as well.

“Many of us see St. Thomas as a second-home. Anything that allows us to build on our faith is a blessing and we are truly honored to have such support from throughout the community,” she said.

As an extra show of love and appreciation, students from the Catholic Student Organization served dinner to donors after the Mass where Bishop Mulvey blessed the windows.

The stained glass windows also portray saints of fields and majors at Texas A&M-Kingsville, added Bishop Mulvey, such as St. Isidore, the patron saint of farmers and rural communities; Sts. Cosmos and Damian, brothers who are patron saints of pharmacists, druggists and medicine; St. Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes and archers, among many others.

“I hope these windows serve as inspiration for many future generations of students here on the campus of Texas A&M at Kingsville. I pray the students will be inspired to come here often and pray about their future…whether that entails a married or a religious life.”

Bishop Mulvey added he had faith that students in distress, times of anxiety or stress would find their way to the chapel and let the images on the ornate stained glass windows ease any doubt or fears about the future.

“I want students to come in here and look at the people depicted on these windows. I pray they remember the obstacles these saints faced and how they are all examples by which to live our lives.”

Bishop Michael Mulvey took time after the Mass and blessing of the new windows at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel to visit with members of the Catholic Student Organization at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic