Frederick, Maryland – The Blessing of the Antique Stained Glass Windows at St. John Evangelist Church

The Blessing of the Antique Stained Glass Windows at St. John Evangelist Church

Frederick, Maryland— September 8, 2023 — A new set of stained-glass windows was blessed on Sunday September 8, 2023 at St. John’s Evangelist Church in Frederick, Maryland on its 260th anniversary. King Richard’s Liturgical Design and Contracting rescued the stained-glass windows from a church in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania. The stained-glass windows were later purchased from King Richard’s and installed them in St. John Fredericks church as part of the renovation project.

Upon taking over as pastor, the Rev. John Williamson discovered that the yellow windows in the church were in poor condition. A simple opaque glass was damaged in some areas, and the woodwork around the windows was rotten.

Bob Fitzgibbons, the director of operations, told the Frederick News-Post that “the estimate for replacing the woodwork was approximately $1 million”. Upon further consideration, he realized that it might be more cost-effective to install stained-glass windows from a declining parish. Williamson then found that “the cost of buying, restoring, and converting the windows to an energy efficient design would be $750,000”. He discussed his plan with the church finance committee, and they said it was a “no-brainer”.

The stunning antique windows that the church chose were recovered and procured by King Richard’s Liturgical Design and Contacting from a church in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania. They were originally crafted by Jacob Renner in 1947. They include depictions of the four Gospel writers and scenes from the lives of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The windows measure more than 15 ft tall and 6 feet wide.

Rev. John Williamson tells The Frederick News-Post in a recent article, “the recently completed installation of the 12 stained glass windows fulfills the wishes of the parishioners who built the Greek Revival church structure in 1987.”
And, Rick Lair, CEO of King Richard’s, said “The church has never had the money to get stained glass windows until this century. We are proud to be able to provide the church with the 1940s window set we procured many years ago”.

Founded in 1988, King Richard’s Liturgical Design and Contracting has earned the reputation as a worldwide, full service religious goods and specialty contractor, servicing all aspects of religious design, construction, renovation, and removal. Our sustained success and continued growth are a direct result from our commitment to understanding the importance of the projects, products, and services we provide exclusively to the religious community.

The 260th anniversary Mass and window’s blessing with Archbishop Lori took place at 11 a.m. Sep. 10, 2023, at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 118 E. Second St., Frederick, MD.

Restoration Video:

Article referenced:
The Frederick News-Post article by Erik Anderson September 8th, 2023
Catholic ‘mother church’ of Frederick County blesses new stained-glass windows on 260th anniversary

For more information, press only:
Heather Griffith
678-393-6500
[email protected]