Stained glass windows returned to St. Paul, project to continue in ?10

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

St. Paul Catholic Church celebrated the beginning of 2010 with the return of St. Anne, St. Louis, St. Hubert and St. Jude. These four saints are portrayed in stained glass windows, which were restored by Thompson Glass Company of Brighton.

Rev. Arthur Duchnowicz and the stained glass window restoration committee have been so pleased with the generosity of the parishioners, guests and the Onaway community. The target of $28,336 to restore the four windows neededto be raised in seven months. The goal was reached and there was a small surplus to begin this year?s efforts.

Parishioners donated many volunteer hours, prizes, food and money to three dinners and a rummage sale. Area businesses and vendors also provided numerous supplies for the events.

?I thought it was a grand undertaking,? said committee member Sharyl Leonard. ?I thought it might be more than what we could accomplish. It is amazing how much the community supported us. Every time we came up with a new fundraiser they were there.?

THE FIRST fundraiser of 2010 will be a parish rummage sale to be conducted May 8. The second annual pig roast will be Aug. 28 and the committee hopes to add some more fun family activities to the day. The hobo stew and hay ride will return and there will be another rummage sale in the fall, but the dates have yet been set.

A plaque with names for donations of $1,000 to $2,500 has already begun and there will be a second plaque for donations of $3,000 to $5,500. The cost to restore a window is $7,084.

?One of the gran

dsons of one of our parishioners got a scratch-off lottery ticket and won $10 and he said, ?Grandma, put that in the stained glass window fund ? a 10-year-old kid,? said Sally Schaar, committee chairperson.

Visitors have tossed $50 bills into the second collection, said Schaar.

?WHEN YOU have an economic climate like we do today, this is just so heartwarming,? she said. Seven of the 17 large windows are completed and four more will be chosen to be restored this year. ?Successful fundraising takes a lot of effort and support, both qualities seems to live in the Onaway community,? added Schaar.

The parish has a second collection at each weekend mass and memorials also have been received to support the restoration of the windows, which are more than 50 years old. Some of the most critical windows were sliding down in their frames and were in danger of shattering in extreme weather conditions.

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