Last summer, while we were in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, I began a series of presentations in my Parish Bulletin articles on the beautiful stained glass windows of our church.  This was in response to an increased interest in them that had resulted from a highlighting of some of the stained glass windows during our live streamed Masses that began when all public Masses were prohibited due to the pandemic.  Beginning in July and ending in December, I offered explanations on all of the windows in the nave, that is, the main body of the church; I hope you found these explanations helpful and, indeed, inspirational.

There are some very interesting windows in the transepts – that is, the area of the church on either side of the main altar – and with a few slower weeks over the summer, I would like to continue this series on the stain glass windows with explanations of these windows in our church’s transepts.  The first window I would like to address is in the east transept, to your left as you face the front of the main altar; it features of our patron saint, Catherine of Siena, who lived from 1347-1380.  At the age of 16, she was received into the Third Order of St. Dominic so she is clothed in the habit of the mantellate, a name given to lay women who were Dominican nuns.  Unlike most of the religious orders of women at that time, they were not cloistered.  Her face is modeled after a painting of Catherine by one of her contemporaries.  The lilies at the upper left and lower right are the heraldic badge of the city of Siena.  The lily branch she holds in her hand is symbolic of her virginity.  The feathered plume at her side and the book which she holds suggest her writings, for which she has been declared a doctor of the Church.  The intertwined gold rings and the two hearts refer to the mystical betrothal of Catherine to Christ as a pledge in answer to her request that she remain constantly faithful to his Truth for her whole lifetime.

Catherine is surrounded by red streaks, symbolic of the wounds of the stigmata (the wounds that Christ endured at his crucifixion).  She received these wounds from the crucified Jesus after attending Mass in the chapel of Santa Cristina in Pisa shortly before she began her labors for the reformation of the Church.  At the moment when she understood the gift which the crucified Lord was to give her, she prayed that the wounds would not be visible. The red streaks turn golden at their ends, symbolic of her understanding that her request had been granted.  The green cross with the red and gold wings in the upper right corner of the window are symbolic of the conferring of the stigmata.

To the saint’s right, a cracked papal tiara signifies the state of the papacy in Catherine’s time. For many years, the popes had been absent from Rome, living in Avignon in what Petrarch referred to as the “Babylonian Captivity”.  After sending many letters entreating Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome, Catherine and a group of her disciples traveled to Avignon and may have been one of the influences that led the pope to end his seventy-year exile and return to Rome to begin a much-needed reform of the Church and the clergy.

The black and white crest at the bottom of the window is that of the Order of Preachers; this is the official title of the Dominicans.

This window is filled with symbolism that helps us to appreciate the many important aspects of our patron saint.  I invite you to reflect on these symbols; they will help you to become more aware of her life and influence on our Church during her short life.