“From the Archives” — Saint Mary’s Stained-Glass Windows, Part 6

Jesus Appears to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

This window is dedicated in memory of Henry Egan and J.J. Walsh and Relatives. Henry Egan (1827-1902) was a businessman who operated an establishment at 112 North Royal Street. John J. Walsh (1800-1877) was a member of the Catholic Beneficial Society. According to his obituary in the Alexandria Gazette, he had “a large funeral, attended by nearly all the municipal officials.” According to city records, a John J. Walsh was listed as “steward of offices” until 1877. The Egan and Walsh families are buried in the same plot in Saint Mary Cemetery and are probably closely related, perhaps brothers-in-law.

The window was dedicated February 25, 1905.

In His appearance to Sister Margaret Mary, a French Visitation nun (1647-1690), Jesus asked her to promote devotion to His Sacred Heart. To validate her story, a priest instructed Margaret Mary to ask Jesus what he, the priest, had said in his last confession. She reported back that Jesus said, “I don’t remember.” This proved correct because Jesus forgives, but then forgets, our sins.

— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian

In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series in 2022. An archive of the features is located here.