In April of 2004, staff members of Catholic Medical Center uncovered a treasure in a building that was set to be demolished. Inside eight grimy wooden crates were 16 beautiful stained glass windows which were previously displayed in the chapel of the former Sacred Heart Hospital and Notre Dame Hospital.
The windows were brought to Roberto Rosa, owner of Serpentino Glass, a stained glass restoration company located in Needham, MA. According to Roberto, the windows are from 1880 to 1890 and were made by the Tyrolean Artists Guild in Austria. He could tell by the painting style, the color and the firing. Restoration of stained glass windows like these requires serious craftsmen. According to Roberto, the process is a traditional style that dates back to the 1300s. The techniques haven’t changed much since then. In order to complete the restoration, each window was disassembled by removing the lead that holds the glass pieces in place. Then, a map was made showing where each piece of glass belonged. Finally, each piece was inspected for damage, repaired and cleaned. In some cases where the glass was shattered and unable to be repaired, pieces needed to be replicated. It took over a year to complete the restoration of the 16 windows.
During the
Building a New Era of Medicine – The Campaign for Catholic Medical Center, 13 donors chose to sponsor specific windows. Architect Roger Dignard worked with designers to create display cases for the windows. An explanation of each window was written by Father Joseph Cooper, Director of the Diocesan Office for Worship and Pastor of St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Manchester, NH. The windows are displayed on levels B, C, and D of the hospital, in the new 2004 wing.