Corcordia Lutheran Church in Brockport
replicates stained glass windows in time for holiday season
“When God closes a door, He opens a window,” or so the saying goes. That certainly was the case at the Concordia Lutheran Church in Brockport this fall. While the church has been at its 6601 Fourth Section Road location since 1974, the stained glass windows that church members paid for in 1945 never made the move from the Spring Street location.
“Our church had been on Spring Street since 1887 and had the old stained glass windows in it, each window with the name of the church member who had paid for it,” said Sharon Fuerch, church secretary. The windows were dedicated on June 24, 1945 and many of the families have since moved away or are no longer affiliated with the church.
Marian Schleede Quackenbush was the exception. Her family had paid for a window in 1945 and after she passed on July 3, 2011, she left money for the windows to be moved to the current location. “Unfortunately, it was too costly to move them and would leave the owners of the Spring Street church with the problem of how to replace them,” said Fuerch.
After much brainstorming, Fuerch contacted an old co-worker who had taught art at Byron-Bergen School District while she was working there as secretary. Matthew W. Bertram, now the owner of Bertram Extermination L.L.C., still dabbled in art and was willing to reproduce the designs on the existing windows at the current location.
After the design was applied to each window, church member Alvin Anheier constructed the casing and hung them in place. Recently, lighting was added behind the windows to further showcase them.
“Two-thousand sixteen is our 130th year of ministry, so the addition of the windows has been very timely,” said Fuerch. Reverend David Triplett, who has been with the Corncordia Lutheran Church for the past four years, led a service in the spring acknowledging the anniversary.
On Thursday, December 15 at 7:30 p.m. the new windows will be on full display during the annual Christmas Concert with Mitzie Collins. Collins has performed the concert at Concordia for the past 30 years. “She loves coming here and with the Christmas tree, decorations and candlelight, it is a very special occasion,” said Fuerch.
Collins will play the hammered dulcimer, along with Roxanne Ziegler on harp, Glennda Dove on flute and Casey Costello singing tenor. There will be a free will offering and refreshments following the concert. For more information, call 637-5930.
