Student’s artwork cast in stained glass for new window
SCROLL THE ARROWS to see more photos.
A light shines in the darkness atop Immaculate Conception Parish’s oldest building in Jefferson City.
A student’s art, a parishioner’s craftsmanship, a deacon’s handiwork and the Class of 2026’s generosity led to a new lit-from-behind stained-glass window above the entrance to Pleus Hall, which was Immaculate Conception’s original church.
“We pray that this beautiful symbol of the descent of the Holy Spirit will be a reminder of the Spirit dawning and blossoming in us, to be life in us,” said Father Matthew Flatley, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish.
Fr. Flatley blessed the new window, and principal Heather Schrimpf turned on its light for the first time on May 7, after this year’s Eighth Grade Promotion Mass.
The parish recently broke ground for a new Immaculate Conception School building, to be completed in phases over the next few years.
The original portion of Pleus Hall, currently used for classroom space, will be restored and repurposed.
It is named in honor of Monsignor John B. Pleus, who founded Immaculate Conception Parish in 1913.
The new stained-glass window fits into an alcove above the second-floor entrance.
The Visioning I.C. committee, which is working with parishioners to get the new school built, held a contest to design the window.
Eighth-grader Sophia Eveler submitted the winning design.
She looked around on the internet for ideas, found a few she liked and then came up with her own design of a dove holding an olive branch, surrounded by radiant light.
She captured it on paper with colored pencils.
“I didn’t know it was a contest,” Sophia conceded. “I thought they were just looking for good ideas and to maybe combine some of them. I didn’t know they were going to choose one of the designs.”
She was surprised when her art teacher, Ashley Kelley, told her that her design had been selected.
“I was happy, excited,” said Sophia, “because it’s something that will stay here forever.”
Parishioner and Visioning I.C. committee member Jim Wisch set the vividly chromatic artwork to glass at his home.
Each colored piece had to be cut and assembled into lead panes with H-shaped slots.
“We matched the glass to her color scheme as closely as we could,” said Mr. Wisch, who previously fashioned two stained-glass windows for the chapel in the Catholic Charities Center in Jefferson City.
The dove in the middle of the image is rendered in a material called lead foil.
“It’s got copper foil that’s been leaded,” said Mr. Wisch.
Brady’s Glass donated the colored glass, Scruggs Lumber donated the mahogany to build the window frame, Lage Cabinet Shop and Deacon Kenneth Wildhaber of the parish built the frame, and Stokes Electric handled the electrical work.
Three small, curved pieces of stained glass at the top and on both sides of the alcove remained from the window that originally adorned the space.
“They were painted red and were behind the masonry,” said Mr. Wisch. “The bottom one was missing. So, we made one with ‘HS’ for the Holy Spirit or Heather Schrimpf, whichever you prefer.”
Mr. Wisch slid each piece of glass into the H-shaped panes and cemented them in place, making the window waterproof.
“There’s a piece of safety glass over it to protect it from weather,” he noted.
He doesn’t know how many hours the project took.
“I don’t keep track of things like that,” he said, laughing. “Whatever it is, it is.”
Water works
The window was displayed in church a few weekends prior to being installed.
Now that it’s high and bright, people passing at night on East McCarty Street can’t miss it.
“It will light up automatically at dusk each evening and will be really impressive,” said Fr. Flatley.
As the eighth-grade promotion approached, Fr. Flatley talked to Deacon Wildhaber about finding a ladder tall enough for the priest to be able to climb up and bless the window with holy water.
“And Kenny gave me the up-and-down and said, ‘Father, that’s not a good idea,’” Fr. Flatley recalled.
The next day, the priest entered the sacristy in church and found a bag with the inscription, “With God, all things are possible.”
Therein was a children’s squirt gun to fill with holy water and douse the window while praying over it.
“In all seriousness, we want to pray for all these young children, that the light of Christ shines in you and that you let it shine,” Fr. Flatley said before blessing the window.
“And with the blessing of our Lord upon each one of you and upon this beautiful window, let us pray, ‘May the light of Christ shine, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’”
All the adults on the sidewalk joined the eighth-graders, dressed in their blue choir robes in front of Pleus Hall, in cheering as the lights went on for the first time.
Looking ahead
Sophie, who came to Immaculate Conception School near the end of fifth grade, plans to attend Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City this fall.
She asked for prayers for her and her classmates “to stay on a good path for high school.”
Years from now, she might have her own children and grandchildren to show her design to, all lit up like it is today.
“I think that’s a really cool thought,” she said.
