Michael Church in 1852. After a failed effort to reconcile
disaffedted factions at St. Louis Church, the Jesuits went forward with the replacement of
their original small edifice with the current church building, dedicated in 1867. The stained
glass windows were installed in 1895 by Franz Mayer & Co. and the Zettler Studios in
Munich, Germany. Most of the windows were destroyed along with the chur
ch interior in
the lightning-strike fire on May 23, 1962. A few surviving windows depicting angels can
be found in the lobby and along the north and south lower walls. In rebuilding the interior
of the church, the Jesuits went back to the Munich-based creators of the original windows
for those currently adorning the church. The ravages of time and weather have taken their toll on both the windows and
their framing. For the past two years the windows on the north and south walls have seen
their corroded framing replaced and the dangerous bowing of the glass corrected. Work
has now shifted to the windows on the facade. These windows will also see improvement
in the LED lighting that illuminates them at night. In addition to the work on the windows and their frames, all of the windows will
have to be covered by glass on the outside to prevent the damaging infiltration of water,
which threatens their stability. This year’s St. Michael’s Place Gala aims to raise the funds
needed to pay for this expensive but essential work. The austere church interior relies on
the colorful windows to soften its imposing character with a play of color in the biblical scenes.
