"The stars in Mary's halo are represented by 12 jewels of glass. Flora included in the scene are indigenous to upper Wisconsin and include the hemlock and maple trees, as well as blue skullcap and lady fern. The window is made up of a variety of antique and new opalescent glass from a variety of manufacturers from across the country. In selected areas "fracture" and "streamer" glass was plated on the back of the window to create additional depth to enhance the heavily wooded appearance. Mouth-blown glass from Germany was used for the drapery and flesh tones.
Whenever possible, the border glass, which had been matched to the fragments of the original windows (note: fragments of the original stained glass windows were kept and preserved by a former parishioner in the 1960s), was sourced from the original manufacturer. The floret at the top of the arch is a salvaged piece from the original windows." CONRAD SCHMITT STUDIOS
Other than a highly stylized modernist work inside the Shrine church in Champion, Wisconsin, there is no other known stained glass window of Our lady of Good Help anywhere in the world. Until now.
The only approved Marian apparition in the USA
Canon Jayr, rector of St Stan’s, wanted to include this in the restoration of the 150-year-old St. Stanislaus Oratory to the beauty of its Roman Catholic patrimony.
"I think it's nice to have here at St. Stanislaus a page of Her intervention in Wisconsin," he said.
Abbe George Baird, oblate and assistant at the parish, who visited the Shrine while in formation in Green Bay some years ago, said it was an easy decision to include Her in the restoration at St. Stanislaus.
"It’s the first and only approved Marian apparition in the U.S., and She's right up the road," he said.
The window is on the north wall of church nave, as will be the other three stained glass windows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is an ancient tradition in Holy Church to give the north walls of church buildings to the Blessed Mother, to be protectress against evil that comes out of the north, mentioned often in scripture.
At press time, the stained glass window of Our Lady of Fatima was installed next to Our Lady of Good Help. And in it, the miracle of the sun, when fire appeared to fall from the sky on Oct. 13, 1917, more than 100 years ago.
Both now on the north wall of the tranquil nave at St. Stanislaus.
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