Stained Glass @ St. Francis Xavier Church - Gettysburg, PA - Stained Glass Windows on Waymarking.com

There was nobody home when I visited and snapped my photos. Not sure who made it or when but it is quite beautiful. The glass depicts various Biblical scenes as well as historic events.. The stained glass is on both sides of the aisles and extends from the very back all the way up to the alter and beyond separated by a few feet from each other. The church website mentions the stained glass as well. They say the stained glass windows in the church depict the Beatitudes. As you can see, the Beatitude “Blessed are the Merciful” depicts the Sisters of Charity as they nursed soldiers from the North and South. From my previous waymark

The cornerstone of the present church was laid on June 20, 1852, by the new Bishop of Philadelphia, John Neumann. He came back the next year to dedicate the church on July 31, 1853.

During the Civil War battle of Gettysburg in 1863, some of the the most seriously wounded, numbering 200-250, were taken to this church, where they were nursed by The Sisters of Charity from Emmitsburg, Maryland. One of the sisters wrote, "They lay on the pew seats, under the pews, in every aisle, and there was scarcely room to pass among them in the sanctuary and in the gallery . . . . The Station pictures hung around the walls, and a very large oil painting of St. Francis Xavier, holding in his hand a crucifix to show the benighted pagans the sign of their Redemption. This was a Book read by our poor men, for we had in that Church but one Catholic, and our glorious saint was for the time resuming his apostolical mission among them. The first man put in the sanctuary was soon baptized, and with truly Christian sentiments. His pain was excruciating and when sympathy was offered to him he said, ‘Oh! What are these pains I suffer in comparison with those my Redeemer suffered for me.’ In these sentiments he died." While they cared for the bodies, the Sisters did not neglect the souls of their patients and many died with these holy women comforting them with assurances of God’s infinite love and mercy. (Source cited below)

There are marvelous works of art to the right and left of the main entrance featuring relief scenes of the Gettysburg Battle. Inside are insanely beautiful stained glass depicting various religious scenes from the Bible. The bell tower was pretty neat too, which more resembled a cupola with a bell inside than the large, imposing towers seen on most churches. The church was renovated and added to in the later years so it does not look like its late 19th century self as seen in some vintage pictures.