“From the Archives” — Saint Mary’s Stained-Glass Windows, Part 8

Jesus and Nicodemus. Installed in 1948, this window depicts Nicodemus, a Pharisee, visiting Jesus to discuss His teachings (John 3:1-21), including being “born again” in baptism. The window is located in the niche that was originally the baptistry and now houses the Basilica’s statue of Saint Thomas More.

This window was dedicated in memory of Annie V. Nugent (1877-1936), the wife of John Nugent. She was the mother of four children: Hollis, Courtney, Eleanor and Dorothy. John Nugent worked at Portners’ Brewery. Eleanor Nugent was Saint Mary’s choir director and organist for many years. She was known for her dedication to the church and her generosity to both Saint Mary Church and Saint Mary’s Academy. She endowed an annual scholarship to the academy for an eighth-grade girl graduating from Saint Mary School. Another of her donations enabled the church to purchase a new pipe organ in 1985. Her niece, Anne Godfrey, daughter of Courtney Nugent Godfrey, worked in the office at Saint Mary School for more than 40 years. Decades of children remember Anne collecting their monthly tuition and cranking out paper receipts, handing them tardy slips when they came in late, collecting daily attendance and lunch count slips, and the dozens of daily clerical chores that kept things running smoothly. Every Christmas, she invited the teachers and staff of Saint Mary School to her house for a gala party. She, too, was active in charitable events and the Saint Mary Academy Alumnae Association and Holy Cross Sisters Guild.

— 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.