The Catholic Standard and Times

Light of God’s generosity

LET FAITH SHINE FORTH — St. Helena Church in Blue Bell counts this window as one in an extraordinary assortment of stained glass art. (Sarah Webb)

By Father Stephen D. Thorne

There are many unique aspects of the newly dedicated Church of Saint Helena in Blue Bell, Montgomery County. Not only is one caught up in the beauty of the altar and the sweet smell of incense, but the colorful stained-glass windows tell a marvelous story of faith.

Recently, I was in that sacred space and was immediately attracted to the stained-glass window of Venerable Pierre Toussaint, whose image gleams forth in glass.

What is so special about this window is the fact that it is the first of its kind in our Archdiocese.

Father Joseph Nicolo, pastor of Saint Helena and formerly pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in West Philadelphia, made sure the images in the windows truly reflect Christ’s universal call to holiness. He told me that he hopes people see the saints as models of faith, inspiring them to be holy too.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint was born a slave in Haiti in 1766.

He managed to come to New York City, and gained wealth as a hairdresser. Then, because of his great work raising money for those in need, he became known as the “father of Catholic Charities.”

He assisted in founding the first Catholic orphanage in New York. He cared for the city’s sick during the yellow fever epidemic, and he played a vital role in providing funds to build Old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Lower Manhattan.

Venerable Pierre, as a faithful layman and husband, put his faith into action. That is especially profound because of his personal experience of slavery’s cruelty — instead of being bitter, he chose to become better.

His cause for canonization was introduced in the Vatican in 1968 by Cardinal Terence Cooke, then Archbishop of New York.

In December 1997, Cardinal John O’Connor had the remains of Pierre Toussaint placed in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. He is the only lay person to be honored by burial in the crypt under the Cathedral.

On Dec. 17, 1997, Pope John Paul II declared him Venerable, thus placing him on the path toward becoming the United States’ first Black saint.

As I left Saint Helena that snowy afternoon, the sun was shining brightly through the saints in those stained-glass windows. Isn’t that what a saint does — let God’s light shine?

Father Stephen D. Thorne is the Archdiocesan Director of the Office for Black Catholics.