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The following is taken from the book Building a Parish, a history of St. Patrick Parish
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A special thank you to Chrissy Danger for the pictures used in these pages
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Statues and Paintings
According to Steven Schloeder’s Architecture in Communion, “Throughout the history of church building, the presence of images of the saints has been upheld as a reminder of the spiritual reality beyond the material world, professed in the Nicene Creed to have been created by God the ‘maker of heaven and earth, of all that is see and unseen’.” In our church our stained glass windows, the paintings of the saints above the altar, and the beautiful statues represent these images.
In 1954, Father Donahue commissioned the paintings of the saints that are located above the main altar.
The paintings covered five stained glass windows that were originally donated by Father Cleary.
It is said they were covered because parishioners complained that the glare of the morning sun obscured their vision. The windows are thought to still exist behind the paintings.
Father Donahue chose the male saints depicted and the nuns at St. Patrick’s School chose the female saints.
Above the altar, starting on the far left is St. Francis of Assisi. He was chosen because the local nuns were of the Franciscan Order. He is a patron of animals, the environment and merchants and is one of the two patrons of Italy. Francis is considered one of the most pious men ever and is the first person known to have received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, on his person. His feast day is October 4.
Next is St. Catherine of Siena. Together with St. Francis of Assisi, she is the other of the two patrons of Italy. She was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970. A member of the Dominican Order, she is credited with bringing the papacy back to Rome after “the captivity” in France when the French king forced three popes to move to Avignon, France. She is the patroness of firefighters and of nurses. Her feast day is April 29.
St. John the Apostle comes next. He was chosen in honor of Fr. John Brazil, the first priest to say mass in Perry. The feather pen he holds and the scroll under his image remind everyone of his role as one of the gospel writers. His feast day is December 27, and he is patron of authors, booksellers, editors, publishers and theologians.
St. Bridget of Sweden follows him. She founded one of the first orders of nuns, the Bridgettines. The mother of Saint Catherine of Sweden and three other daughters and four sons, she devoted herself to the religious life after being widowed. Known for her kindness and good works, she is the patroness of widows and orphans. Her feast day is October 8.
In the middle, as a position of honor, is St. James the Less, apostle and Bishop of Jerusalem. He was chosen for Father James Cleary who was pastor here from 1898-1933. His feast day is May 3 and is considered a patron of the dying and of pharmacists.
To his right is St. Clare of Assisi. She established the Order of the Clares, often called the Poor Clares. She is a patroness of television and telephones and other means of communication because after she became too ill to attend mass in person, she was reportedly able to see and hear it on the wall of her room. She is also patroness of those needing good weather and of those suffering from eye diseases. Her feast day is August 11.
Next is St. Edward the Confessor. King of England from 1042-1066, he was chosen in honor of Monsignor Edward Donahue, pastor from 1939-1956. The king’s death and the resulting turmoil over his successor led to the Norman invasion of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings, which forever altered English history. The patron of kings, difficult marriages and separated spouses, his feast day is October 13.
He is followed by St. Rose of Lima (Peru). She is the first saint from the Americas. She became a Dominican nun and died on August 24, 1617, at the age of 31 after having prophesied the date of her death. Widely venerated, numerous miracles have been attributed to her, and Pope Benedict XVI is especially devoted to her. The patroness of gardeners, florists and of the resolution of family quarrels, her feast day is August 23.
The last saint pictured is St. William. Believed to be St. William of Donjeon (there are eight saints known as William), he was selected to honor Fr. William Coughlan, pastor from 1933-1939. The archbishop of Bourges, France, he practiced great austerity as a member of the Order of Grandmont. Considered extremely intelligent, he is patron of the University of Paris and has a feast day of January 10. St. William is credited with eighteen miracles during his life and another eighteen after his death.
The paintings covered five stained glass windows that were originally donated by Father Cleary.
It is said they were covered because parishioners complained that the glare of the morning sun obscured their vision. The windows are thought to still exist behind the paintings.
Father Donahue chose the male saints depicted and the nuns at St. Patrick’s School chose the female saints.
Above the altar, starting on the far left is St. Francis of Assisi. He was chosen because the local nuns were of the Franciscan Order. He is a patron of animals, the environment and merchants and is one of the two patrons of Italy. Francis is considered one of the most pious men ever and is the first person known to have received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, on his person. His feast day is October 4.
Next is St. Catherine of Siena. Together with St. Francis of Assisi, she is the other of the two patrons of Italy. She was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970. A member of the Dominican Order, she is credited with bringing the papacy back to Rome after “the captivity” in France when the French king forced three popes to move to Avignon, France. She is the patroness of firefighters and of nurses. Her feast day is April 29.
St. John the Apostle comes next. He was chosen in honor of Fr. John Brazil, the first priest to say mass in Perry. The feather pen he holds and the scroll under his image remind everyone of his role as one of the gospel writers. His feast day is December 27, and he is patron of authors, booksellers, editors, publishers and theologians.
St. Bridget of Sweden follows him. She founded one of the first orders of nuns, the Bridgettines. The mother of Saint Catherine of Sweden and three other daughters and four sons, she devoted herself to the religious life after being widowed. Known for her kindness and good works, she is the patroness of widows and orphans. Her feast day is October 8.
In the middle, as a position of honor, is St. James the Less, apostle and Bishop of Jerusalem. He was chosen for Father James Cleary who was pastor here from 1898-1933. His feast day is May 3 and is considered a patron of the dying and of pharmacists.
To his right is St. Clare of Assisi. She established the Order of the Clares, often called the Poor Clares. She is a patroness of television and telephones and other means of communication because after she became too ill to attend mass in person, she was reportedly able to see and hear it on the wall of her room. She is also patroness of those needing good weather and of those suffering from eye diseases. Her feast day is August 11.
Next is St. Edward the Confessor. King of England from 1042-1066, he was chosen in honor of Monsignor Edward Donahue, pastor from 1939-1956. The king’s death and the resulting turmoil over his successor led to the Norman invasion of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings, which forever altered English history. The patron of kings, difficult marriages and separated spouses, his feast day is October 13.
He is followed by St. Rose of Lima (Peru). She is the first saint from the Americas. She became a Dominican nun and died on August 24, 1617, at the age of 31 after having prophesied the date of her death. Widely venerated, numerous miracles have been attributed to her, and Pope Benedict XVI is especially devoted to her. The patroness of gardeners, florists and of the resolution of family quarrels, her feast day is August 23.
The last saint pictured is St. William. Believed to be St. William of Donjeon (there are eight saints known as William), he was selected to honor Fr. William Coughlan, pastor from 1933-1939. The archbishop of Bourges, France, he practiced great austerity as a member of the Order of Grandmont. Considered extremely intelligent, he is patron of the University of Paris and has a feast day of January 10. St. William is credited with eighteen miracles during his life and another eighteen after his death.
Statues
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Among the oldest statues are those representing Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus which adorn the side altars. These statues can be seen in some of the earliest photos of the church, indicating that they have been present for more than 100 years.
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In 1954, small alcoves were added above the doors leading from the sanctuary. In these alcoves were placed statues of St. Patrick and St. Joseph that were donated by the Kelly sisters who lived south of Perry.
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Standing next to the doors in the back of the church are statues representing St. Theresa, the Little Flower, and St. Anthony of Padua. (These were formerly housed at the school.)
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A statue depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe is located in the vestibule in recognition of our Hispanic parishioners. |
The statue of Mary located in the sacristy formerly was housed in the hallway of the rectory. |
A statue of the Infant of Prague is positioned near the north exit of the nave. It is one of two statues that were donated in 1949 by Mr. E. B. Oehler to St. Patrick’s School. Clothing representing the liturgical seasons of the church was made by Viola Silk. Tradition states that the Infant is the patron of finances and is to be positioned facing a door.
