Cathedral windows tell story of the diocese

Along both side aisles of the Cathedral, the walls are filled with beautiful stained glass windows. On the lower level there are nine windows, each depicting one of the saints who have some significance for the Cathedral, diocese, state or country. The upper or clerestory windows, tell the history of the Holy Eucharist as it is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, brought to fulfillment in the New Testament, brought to us today in the sacraments and adored by us in various devotions.

The clerestory windows are a common feature of basilicas and are designed to let light or fresh air into the room. In the Corpus Christi Cathedral they let in beautifully colored light. Each of the upper windows has two elements. The larger frame includes some aspect of the history of the Eucharist but located at the center bottom of the window are seals of various popes and bishops as well as other symbols.

This lower window is of Father Juan de Padilla, martyr and a tomahawk and St. Frances Cabrini and a school. Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

The lower windows also consist of two elements. The primary depiction on the window is that of two saints, but the lower part of the window is split in two boxes each containing a symbolic element of the Universal Church’s story.

As you enter the nave, nearest to the rear of the Cathedral to the left or the Lipan Street side, the upper or clerestory windows begin with Our Lady, Queen of the Blessed Sacrament with the symbol of Mary as its second element. The lower window is St. Anthony, patron of the Province of San Antonio, which included the Vicariate of Brownsville, the Diocese of Corpus Christi’s predecessor, and St. Patrick, the patron of the original Cathedral.

The next upper window depicts the Eucharistic Procession, the Feast of Corpus Christi and the Coat of Arms of Pope Pius XII, who named the Cathedral for Corpus Christi. He was also the pope during World War II and his seal includes the Dove of Peace. Where the lower window would normally be, is the Shrine of Guadalupe, which was previously occupied by the Baptistery. In the shrine are two windows. The window on the left depicts the Palm and martyrdom and the one on the right the Cross and faith.

St. Thomas Aquinas who composed the Liturgy of the Feast of Corpus Christi.

The next upper window is of St. Thomas Aquinas who composed the Liturgy of the Feast of Corpus Christi. The Coat of Arms is of Pope Pius XI. The lower window depicts St. Maria Goretti, Martyr and the Holy Family. The lower elements include lilies and a sword on the left and the initials JMJ below the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

The windows after the entrance to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel are, on top, The Viaticum, the Communion for the Dying and the Coat of Arms of St. Pius X, who was the pope who elevated the Diocese of Corpus Christi. The lower is of St. Rosa of Lima and Our Lady of Guadalupe with a map of Peru showing Lima and a map of North and South America below Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The next upper window is of St. Pius X with the Coat of Arms or Pope Leo XIII who named Bishop Peter Verdaguer, the second bishop of the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville. There is no window below, since the space is occupied by a confessional.

The final windows on the left side of the church are (the upper window) of Holy Orders and the Coat of Arms of Pius IX, who organized Vicariate of Brownsville. The lower window includes St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church and, below him, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. To the right are the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Globe of the World showing the Western Hemisphere.

As one crosses in front of the altar to the north side of the Cathedral, the first upper window depicts the Sacrifice of Abraham and the Coat of Arms of Bishop Dominic Manucy, the first bishop of the Vicariate of Brownsville. The lower window is of the Immaculate Conception and a map of United States and St. Francis of Assisi and a map of Texas.

Walking towards the back of the Cathedral, the next upper window is of the Sacrifice of Melchizedek and the Coat of Arms of Bishop Peter Verdaguer, the second bishop of the Vicariate of Brownsville. Below is another confessional.

The next upper window depicts the Manna in the Desert and the Coat of Arms of Bishop Paul Joseph Nussbaum, the first bishop of Corpus Christi. The lower window is of Father Juan de Padilla, martyr and a tomahawk and St. Frances Cabrini and a hospital or school.
The next upper window is of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes and the Coat of Arms Bishop Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina, the diocese’s second bishop and builder of the Cathedral. There is an entrance to the Cathedral below the upper window.

Moving across the entrance the next upper window is of the Last Supper and the Coat of Arms of Bishop Mariano Simón Garriga, the third bishop of Corpus Christi who consecrated the Cathedral. In the lower window are St. Paul and the Bible and the words “Spirit of the Sword.” On the right the window shows a rendering of St. Jean Vianney with a rosary draped over his hands and below him is the Eucharist and the Bible
The next upper window is of the Crucifixion and instead of a Coat of Arms are symbols of the Passion, nails, a hammer and tongs. Below is another confessional.

St. Peter offering Mass and loaves and fishes are in the final upper window. The lower window features St. Pius X and the Coat of Arms of Bishop Adolph Marx, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi and the first bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, and Pope Pius IX who declared the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception and the Coat of Arms of the diocese consisting of three ciboria, communion cups, signifying the Holy Trinity.

In next months edition will visit the Cathedral’s two chapels.