Prayer drawn in light
Our Lady of Grace’s stained-glass windows were created 75 years ago by famed Italian-Canadian artist Guido Nincheri to depict different titles of the Blessed Mother from the Litany of Loreto. (Photos provided and by Sean Farley) GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro is known for its beauty. Stepping into the quiet sanctuary from the rush of Market Street feels like entering a hidden garden of light and color. Italian white marble glows, ornately carved woodwork shines and a custom mosaic sparkles.
The stars of this hymn to Our Lady in architecture are 14 stained-glass windows, alive with deep jewel tones and sunlight. Below them, a series of smaller windows captures symbolic representations of Our Lady’s titles. To ensure that their beauty endures, the parish is launching a fundraising drive to complete maintenance and repair to these delicate works of art.
The church’s windows were created by famed Italian-Canadian artist Guido Nincheri. He designed each window to depict a different title of Mary from the Litany of Loreto. He interpreted these titles using Biblical images, stories from Church history (such as the Battle of Lepanto’s connection to Our Lady of the Rosary) and cultural references.
“The windows give a sense of being immersed in Our Lady’s loving presence and wrapped by her maternal care and protection,” said Father Casey Coleman, the parish’s pastor. “When the sunlight penetrates, there is just so much depth to the windows. The mystery of faith they articulate is magnified literally by the colors penetrated by the light.”
Nincheri set high standards for materials, shipping 30,000 pieces of deeply hued glass from Belgium during the tumultuous years of World War II. He designed the images, supervised their creation and then painted their emotive faces. The completed windows were installed for the 1952 dedication of the church.
Parishioner Barbara Manson was intrigued with the art she saw as she sang in the choir loft. As she examined their expressive faces, she realized “these windows are portraits.” Her fascination led her to travel to Canada to study Nincheri’s art. She collaborated with his grandson, Rodger Nincheri, until he recently passed away while she was leading a project to collect information about Our Lady of Grace’s windows.
Unfortunately, stained-glass windows are as fragile as they are beautiful. Over time, the lead that joins the panes of glass can soften and warp. Stained glass is particularly vulnerable to the harsh southern sun and summer heat. Without maintenance, the windows can bow and break. A recent analysis found the beginnings of this deterioration, so the parish has gathered a committee to raise awareness and funds to care for its artistic treasures.
Rebekah Zomburg is leading the effort. She and her husband, John Zomburg, have loved the windows since pointing their symbols out to their children to engage their minds. As the
Catechism states, “genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer and to the love of God” (CCC 2502). Many parishioners echo this idea when they speak of their beloved images.
“My hope is that, as the community comes together, we are given a greater opportunity to focus and experience the windows in a new way,” Father Coleman said. “I hope this opportunity will help us to internalize the mystery and beauty of the windows and strive to preserve them not only in material fact but by conveying their spiritual meaning with family and friends.”
The parish is creating an opportunity to learn more about the meaning of the windows and their creator. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, at Starmount Country Club in Greensboro, parishioners and friends can attend a Stained Glass Gala. The hope is to complete the restoration for the 75th anniversary of the windows’ dedication in September 2027.
— Kelly J. Henson, photos by Sean Farley
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David Henrie is crediting beauty for his return to the Catholic faith after creating a new docuseries with EWTN Studios called “Seeking Beauty.”
“Beauty was a part of it, because the place that I had my conversion was St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, which is probably one of the most beautiful monasteries in the United States,” the 36-year-old actor, who rose to fame starring in TV shows such as Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” and the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” said of the community of Norbertine priests in Silverado, California. “That’s where I went and did my first general confession.”
Henrie spoke with OSV News ahead of the premiere of his adventure documentary series, “Seeking Beauty with David Henrie,” on Jan. 19.
As the show’s host, he invites viewers to travel with him across Italy to Vatican City, Rome, Florence, Milan, Subiaco and Venice in a quest for beauty. In six 45-minute long episodes, he channels the viewer’s wonder and curiosity as he explores the art, music, food, history and culture of those regions.
The show will debut on EWTN’s streaming platform, EWTN+, which is available free on RokuTV and recently launched on EWTN.com, AppleTV, AmazonFireTV and GoogleTV.
“Beauty is a fingerprint of the divine,” Henrie told OSV News. “I have come to see how, if you invite it into your life, it can help you know, see and love God.”
In his search for beauty, Henrie examines masterpieces and monasteries up close. Along the way, he invites viewers into his own life and introduces his wife Maria and their three children. In one episode, Henrie speaks about his faith journey.
“By the time I was a teenager and in my 20s, I had gained all this – all this success and money – and traveled the world,” he said. “But I was brought to a real low point.” At the time, he felt depressed and struggled with a lot in his life, he says.
“I felt I should be happy, I have all the things that I should have to be happy,” he adds. “But then once God reached out and gave me that clear sign that there is a path and that my life isn’t a big mistake.”
Places of beauty such as the Monastery of St. Benedict, known as the Sanctuary of the Sacred Cave, near Subiaco, Italy, can bring us closer to God, a new TV series says. (EWTN Studios | OSV News)
Henrie was 22 when he visited St. Michael’s Abbey for confession on Jan. 1, 2012.
“I didn’t just go anywhere for my conversion, and I wasn’t even directly seeking it,” Henrie said of the abbey. “It was at the most beautiful place, a place that you can really feel God … beauty was right there, knocking on my door.”
Henrie expressed excitement about exploring beauty with others in “Seeking Beauty,” which has already filmed a second season in Spain. “I’ve always struggled with just purely producing secular works and working in secular Hollywood and being vocal about my faith,” he said. “It’s been a joy to just be able to be myself and talk about something that I love and care about.”
Beauty, Henrie said, is God’s language. He encouraged viewers to explore whether beauty is subjective or objective.
“If it’s something that’s outside of you that has a universal effect, where you have people from all different faiths, all different ages, standing there, looking at a thing, contemplating it, being brought to tears,” he said. “Maybe there’s an objective truth to it.”
“If that’s the case, who’s the author of that? That’s where you start the conversation about God and contemplation,” he said.
He hopes the show inspires viewers to embrace beauty.
— Katie Yoder, OSV News