The stained glass windows of St. Patrick Church were installed in the church at the time the church was built --- 1915-1917, over 100 years ago. Some 25 or 30 years go, when damage from BB holes was noticed, the windows were covered with Lexan to protect them from further vandalism damage and gradual damage from the elements. At the time the Lexan was installed, it was the recommended clear covering for the window surfaces, and it was used in similar applications all over the country. As the Lexan aged, however, it became apparent that it would not remain clear, and would become increasingly opaque until it looked almost like plywood. It was also found to expand and contract significantly, making a long-term weathertight seal impossible.
The need for replacing the Lexan covering was very apparent. But at the ripe old age of 100+ years, the windows were also in need of general restoration and a good cleaning, to bring them back to their original beauty. Even though the wood frames had been repainted a few times in their lifetime, the wood itself was showing its age after many years in the Arizona sun.
Our window restoration story began in the spring of 2014 with a casual visit by Stephen Frei, who came to a town he had not visited before to see windows crafted by his great grandfather, Emil Frei. We talked then about the lexan covering on the windows, and other possible work that might be needed. We kept in contact with Stephen, and after one of our parishioners visited the Frei Studio in St. Louis the following year, we began in earnest to think about the needed restoration. The commit-ment was made, and we began to plan, knowing that the Frei Studios had their work scheduled for several years in advance.
Project Phase 1
In October 2018, Stephen Frei spent 3 weeks at St. Patrick Church. He completed the restoration work on four of the smaller windows in the nave of the church, two on the east side and two on the west side. This first phase was a very valuable learning experience for all concerned.
- It allowed Stephen (and his staff in St. Louis) to become familiar with our church building, our windows, our weather, and our community. All of these would be important to them during the main restoration
- It helped our parishioners and the community really understand what the restoration work was all about. The work on these lower windows provided "up close and personal" views of the work as it was being done. And we could easily see the result of the work with side by side "before & after" examples to walk past every day.
Project Fundraising
Our official fundraising campaign, with an announced goal of $500,000, was launched with fervent prayers on June 29-30, 2019. Our campaign slogan "Imagine what we can do when we do it together" was truly heartfelt, but there was no real certainty that our goal would be met. We only knew that we would try as hard as we could to reach as many people as we could, and pray as hard as we could for positive results.
With a great amount of effort by a great number of people, through fundraising events, grant writing, large and small contributions, our prayers were heard and answered. By January 2022, counting pledges still to be received, we had reached our goal. In two and one half years. In the months to come, after all window restoration related work has been completed and paid for, funds remaining will remain in a designated savings account for future window expenses.
We are grateful.
"I'll be happy to help with the Window Restoration Project in any way I can.
St. Patrick Church may not be my parish any more,
but it will always be the parish of my heart."
~~Sharon Mihelich Richards, former parishioner
Project Phase 2
We have been entrusted with the care and preservation of our wonderful church and its stained glass windows. St. Patrick Church stands as a testament to the hard labor and financial sacrifice of those who built it, wanting to place in Bisbee a church they felt would be worthy of the Glory of God. Today the church also reflects the dedication and continuing financial sacrifice of those who, for the last 100+ years, have worked to keep the church a well preserved and beautiful space, for those who worship and those who visit. Our commitment to the Window Restoration Project is a large part of the legacy we will leave to future generations.
Window Restoration Project Committee
Rev. Joseph E. Saba
Chairman
Deacon Tony Underwood
Pastoral Administrator
Mary Gomez
Secretary
Ruth Dugie
Treasurer
Elizabeth Lueck
Grant Writer
Stella Burke
Sylvia Echave Stock
Benjamin Saenz , OFS
Office Manager
Phase 2 of the Window Restoration Project was the largest. The craftsmen were in Bisbee from early January until April 2, and completed the work on all of the west side (school side) windows and the large south window over the main entry of the church. There was much work to be done on the large clerestory windows, so two large lifts were brought in to be used for the duration of their stay. There was constant excitement and interest in the neighborhood when the lifts were moving men, equipment, and material high into the air.
From their earlier inspections, the crew knew that this west side of the church was where they would find the most weather damage to the wood window frames. Some of the damage was bad enough that new exterior frames had to be fabricated.
As much as the craftsmen from St. Louis looked forward to enjoying the mild Arizona winter weather, they were treated to a very cold week with one of Bisbee's snowstorms, as some of the photos will show. And being from St. Louis, they probably handled the snow mich better than local residents, and were amused at how quickly the snow was gone and the temperatures rose again. Only in Arizona!
Project Phase 3
Phase 3 of the project was met with much anticipation. We knew what kind of activity to expect after having Phase 2 completed the previous year. The craftsmen again arrived in early January, and when they left on March 18, we had beautifully restored stained glass windows that will grace our church and our community for at least another 100 years.
The activity in this final phase was very similar to that of Phase 2. Big equipment was in place, new wood frames being fabricated, men working round the clock. And yes, again we had snow, though not as much as the year before.
