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Carl Goeringer talks to fellow parishioners about the ’Restore the Glory’ capital campaign at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in Dallas. The campaign was created to raise funds to repair and restore the three stained glass windows in the Chancel. The church is trying to raise $10,000 by April 30 to avoid further damage to the windows.
The Chancel windows at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in Dallas are in jeopardy of breaking and church members and the community are asked to help.
The three stained glass windows located behind the altar are in need of repair from expansion and contraction due to sunlight, heat and cold. Church members Dan Monk, Jennifer Martin, Dan Plashinski, Dave Dillon, Carl Goeringer and the Rev. John Major formed a committee and founded the “Restore the Glory” capital campaign, which is seeking approximately $10,000 to restore the windows.
The campaign began on March 1 and is scheduled to be completed by April 30 to avoid further damage to the windows.
“For more than 60 years, these beautiful stained glass windows have provided enjoyment for many traveling up Main Street,” Plashinski said. “The windows are now in danger of falling apart from the many years of expansion and contraction.”
Designed and built by Eugene Baut, of Baut Studio in Kingston, the windows are original staples of the church which opened in Sept. of 1950. Jesus Christ is featured in the center window and the other windows include religious symbolism.
“The Chancel Windows depict the very center of the Church itself,” says a history file on the church. “It is Christ’s invitation to “Come Unto Me”….The window on the Gospel side of the Chancel is a reminder that we come under the demand of the Law of God cleansed and purified by His presence….The window on the Epistle side of the Chancel is the reminder that as Christ offered Himself for us, so we offer ourselves, souls and bodies to Him.”
Parishioners and friends of the church received a letter asking they give within recommended levels of support. Those who donate within the levels will be recognized on a plaque to be displayed in the church.
Businesses that donate $100 or more will receive a banner ad on the church’s Web site, along with box ads in the weekly service bulletins and newsletters for one year.
If sufficient funds are raised, the windows will be temporarily removed and the clear storm windows will be left in place. The stained glass windows will be repaired and restored to their original condition by Kasmark & Marshall in Luzerne. They will then be reinstalled in the Chancel.
The project is expected to take place during the summer and should last only a few weeks.
In an approximate three-minute video created by the “Restore the Glory” committee, several church members, young and old, discuss the windows and what they mean to them. Goeringer addressed parishioners about the campaign and presented the video in church on March 1. The video is also posted on the church’s Web site.
“To me, the biggest thing is if you sit in our church on a Sunday morning, you can almost always see the sun shining behind Jesus,” said Martin, a lifelong member of the church and serves as the parish administrator. “It helps us center into prayer and is a reflection of church and why we are there.”