THE JOSEPH APSE
The side altar on the right of the church is dedicated to St. Joseph, spouse of Mary, the mother of Jesus. His statue stands atop the tabernacle. Like the altars to its left, the Joseph altar is made of carrara marble with onyx pillars. These Jubilee altars date from 1896, when they were installed during the parish’s 75th anniversary.
Above the altar are four stained-glass windows dating from the second church, completed in 1890. They’re fine French stained-glass, and were saved in 1940, when that building, except for its exterior walls and altars, was lost to fire.
The windows contain lovely detail, including names of donors, the “living stones” who built St. Peter’s in an earlier age. We know the saints from parish records, as well as visual clues.
From left to right, here they are:
St. Patrick: Patron of Ireland and of St. Patrick’s Church in downtown Washington, the parish from which St. Peter’s was formed. Patrick had been a slave and shepherd in Ireland before being sent back there as bishop about 432. His ministry of preaching and conversions lasted nearly 30 years. He’s shown here holding a live shamrock and a gold staff with a carved shamrock. He’s also stepping on a snake, a reference to the myth that he drove all snakes out of Ireland. His feast is March 17; his window says “Gift of Wm. Leech.”
St. Joseph: Patron of the universal church and the Jewish carpenter called by God to complete the Holy Family. In the Gospels, he’s a “righteous man,” and is portrayed as both the family protector and a parent fearing for a lost child. In this window, he’s holding a white lily with three blooms, a symbol of integrity, purity, and the Trinity. His feast is March 19; his window says “Gift of Mary B. Shugrue.”
St. Vincent de Paul: Patron of all works of charity and a French priest who dedicated his life to serving the poor. His ministry spanned five decades in the 1600s; he also founded several religious congregations. He’s shown here holding a child in his arms. His feast is September 27; his window says “Gift of Rev. M.P. Sullivan.” This was likely the Rev. Michael P. Sullivan who was an assistant at St. Peter’s from 1883 to 1896.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga: Patron of Catholic youth and just 23 when he died in 1591. He went against the wishes of his noble Italian family to become a Jesuit. Though sickly, he served in a Jesuit hospital in Rome during an outbreak of plague and died. In this window, he’s holding a crucifix and white lily, a symbol of purity. His feast is June 21; his window says “In memory of Katie A. Shugrue.”
During our Bicentennial, St. Patrick, St. Joseph, St. Vincent, and St. Aloysius, pray for us!