The Stained Glass Project: The Layout of the Church

This is part of an ongoing series called The Stained Glass Project, in which I am attempting to photographically preserve the stained glass windows of my parish church, Our Lady of Czestochowa (St. Mary's) in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania.

There are twelve major portrait windows in St. Mary's church, each consisting of two figures presented side-by-side in the same recess for a total of twenty-four portraits. There are six of these windows on each side.

On each side the fifth window from the rear appears to have been modified to accommodate new architectural details introduced after the church's initial construction - a side entrance on the South, and an alcove that once served as the Baptistery on the North. The sixth windows from the rear flank the elevated area where the altar is located. The North window in this row is also shortened, but retains elements that suggest it may have been constructed this way or was modified in a manner different from the fifth windows.

There are additional windows that do not bear portraits located throughout the church, including one on either side in the furthest rear position that is the same size and shape as the portrait windows. From the outside St. Mary's has seven major windows running along each side. The other windows are all smaller and purely decorative, with the exception of a more recent window in the room that once served as the Baptistery.

Here is the layout of the windows for future reference. Each two-portrait window is identified by the side of the church it is on and the position counting from the rear of the church. Each portrait is identified by position in the frame, the name of the figure depicted (in parentheses if no name is listed; this is the case for every portrait of Mary or Jesus, which bear only the words "ORA PRO NOBIS"), and the name of the person or persons who presented the window.


The church is aligned with its front entrance under the steeple, which faces East; I am counting this as the rear of the church, with the altar as the front. The South side is on the parishioners' left, and the North side on their right.

The layout of the church and its windows:

North 1 (Rear of church, right side)
Left: (Madonna and child); Presented by The Ladies of the Rosary
Right: (Jesus as a child); Presented by The Children of St. Mary's

North 2
Left: St. Francis of Assisi
Right: St. Stanislaus, Martyr
Across both panes: Presented by Frank Schwar St. (Stanley?) Micinski

North 3
Left: St. Michael
Right: (Jesus an an adult, Sacred Heart)
Across both panes: Presented by Michal Lonski

North 4
Left: St. Maximian
Right: (Mary, Immaculate Heart)
Across both panes: Presented by Max Szpotanski

North 5 (above side room that was once the baptistery)
Left: St. Victoria
Right: St. John the Baptist

This appears to be a modified (shortened) window with no tags indicating who sponsored it. The room was probably added after the window had been in place.

North 6 (altar level, shortened)
Left: St. John the Evangelist
Right: St. Helen
Across both panes: Presented by John Smoulter in memory of my (wife)

This window is above the stairs leading to the Sacristy, located on the other side of the wall.

South 1 (Rear of church, left side)
Left: St. Leo
Right: St. George
Across both panes: Presented by A.L. Reilly and G. Schroeder, Archts.

South 2
Left: St. Stanislaus Kostka; Presented by George Hill and William Evans
Right: (Mary's Assumption into Heaven); Presented by E.E. Ritter

South 3
Left: St. Hedwig
Right: St. Edward
Across both panes: Presented by K.M. Smith

South 4
Left: St. Francis of Sales; Presented by F.M. Kohlbraker
Right: St. James; Presented by J.C. Brader

South 5 (above side entrance installed in the 1950s)
Left: St. Anne
Right: St. Peter

This appears to be a modified (shortened) window with no tags indicating who sponsored it. The door was added after the window had been in place.

South 6 (altar level, full length)
Left: St. Adolph
Right: (Mary in the clouds)
Across both panes: Presented by A.E. Nowicki, Rector