Eternal light

Windows are considered a building’s "eyes" and it is often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. If both are true, then St. Basil the Great Catholic Church in Kimberton has a piece of South Philly in its soul.

The Chester County church is outfitted with 16 stained-glass windows that were originally part of St. Anthony of Padua Church, 2321 Fitzwater St. in Grays Ferry.

In the 1990s, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia closed parishes throughout the city, citing declines in membership. St. Anthony of Padua was one of these parishes and shut down in July 1999.

But some of the Catholic population that had left the city settled in the suburbs, prompting a need for modernized churches.

The Rev. Robert McLaughlin, who became pastor of St. Basil’s in 1998, was contemplating the construction of a new church building to accommodate his parish when he heard of St Anthony’s closing and was informed of its beautiful architecture.

When the pastor went to investigate, he found the inspiration for his new church.

St. Anthony’s held within its walls 16 stained-glass windows, each 11-1/2-feet high. The windows were crafted by the finest studios in Bavaria, Germany, more than a century ago. In addition, St. Anthony’s possessed 13 of 14 Stations of the Cross statues – also more than 100 years old – created by plaster masters in Paris. The only other copy of the sculptures is in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

McLaughlin was immediately drawn to the windows.

"They were of such great beauty," he said. "I couldn’t stand to see them get sold away."

So the construction of St. Basil’s began – with a definite focal point.

"I designed the entire church around the windows," said McLaughlin.

St. Basil’s incorporates sixth-century church architectural concepts. Its majestic chapel is topped by an octagonal wooden-beamed roof surrounding a skylight, which shows off the windows to good effect.

WHEN ST. ANTHONY’S closed, the church’s windows and sculptures were quite literally hidden treasures.

Over the years, layers of dirt, dust and debris had piled up on the colored glass. In fact, McLaughlin said, some of the windows had rarely or never been seen because of their position in the church. One example was a glass depiction of St. John the Baptist that had been placed in a desolate corner. The window was almost completely black. The artisans at Beyer Stained Glass in Germantown were able to fully restore all the windows through a careful and tedious cleaning process.

In addition, one of the sculptures of the Stations of the Cross – Jesus Falls a Second Time – was missing. McLaughlin asked St. Basil’s parishioner Carolyn Walton, who had training in the techniques of the Parisian plaster masters, to recreate the sculpture.

"Now when people come in and I ask them which one is not authentic, no one can tell!" the pastor said with a jovial laugh.

The artwork of St. Anthony’s is not McLaughlin’s only connection with South Philly.

He has been involved with Holy Ghost Byzantine Church, 24th and Wolf streets, for more than 40 years and believes "they have the best gospel choir in the country."

In fact, the choir from Holy Ghost went to St. Basil’s to sing at McLaughlin’s Silver Jubilee in 1998.

St. Anthony of Padua had 13 of 14 Stations of the Cross statues. A St. Basil’s parishioner recreated the missing one.