A window into history

What began as spring cleaning to prepare for Our Lady of Lourdes’ Church in Malverne’s upcoming 100th anniversary turned into the discovery of a key clue in a longstanding mystery within the church.

The discovery will be recognized as part of a June 11 ceremony later this month along with tributes for Memorial Day and Flag Day.

“There’s a particular window in the church hall depicting St. Joan of Arc, which is not in keeping with the other windows,” Joseph Canzoneri, one of two active parishioners, along with Margaret Hannan, who led the effort, said. “All the other windows are scenes of Jesus speaking to children, his resurrection, walking on water and then all of a sudden there’s St. Joan of Arc.”

Through his rummage, Canzoneri came across a program from a dedication ceremony for the window dated June 8, 1930, which curiously read “Memorial Services World-War Dead and Dedication of Soldiers Memorial Window.”

“What I had started to do is gather all these historical documents from our church and as we started gathering, we learned so much,” Hannan said. “We just celebrated our 95th (anniversary) and we want to get ready for our 100th, and in my research I asked anybody who had anything to please bring it in and then Joe stops by with his wife Judy and says ‘I opened a drawer and I found something, do you want it?’” St. Joan of Arc is considered a national heroine of France, who, as a peasant girl believing she was acting under divine guidance, led the French army to victory at Orleans in the Hundred Years’ War in 1429. She was later captured by the English and their French associates and tried as a heretic and later convicted and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431 at age 19. However, she has since been lauded for her extreme dedication to her faith and country.

“She received a vision from God that she was to save France from Spain during the hundred years-war and women in those days didn’t fight in wars like that,” Hannan said. “But she did and everybody doubted her, but she didn’t let those doubts get in the way of what God wanted her to do and she won.”

She said they discovered the reason to depict St. Joan of Arc on the window was to give a face to the America’s success in World War I, while also having a Christian connection.

“The year is 1930, World War I is over and yes, they wanted to honor the veterans of the different wars but also the soldiers of the catholic faith and those who fought for Christ as well as their country,” Hannan said. “World War I was the big war back then so it was in gratification of us winning and to honor not only the military soldiers but the soldiers of the catholic faith so they chose an image that honored both and St. Joan of Arc exemplified that.”

Father Jim Stachaccz elaborated on what a “soldier of the catholic faith” means.

“In confirmation there’s a term, ‘Soldier of Christ,’” Stachaccz said. “That term is about the battle of good against evil with the side of good being Christ and we’re all soldiers of Christ in the sense that we all bring about his message of healing, love and mercy.”

To share their amazing discovery with the community, the church will hold a reenactment of the original ceremony from 1930 and honor the patriotic holidays, June 11.

“Nobody knew why Joan of Arc’s picture was among all the pictures of Jesus and now there’s a reason why and we need to share it with the world because what good is it just in our heads?” Hannan said.

Hannan said that they hope to be as faithful to the original program as possible.

“We’re going to sing some patriotic songs like the Star-Spangled Banner, do some readings, read some the names of those lost, Father Stachaccz and the American Legion Commander will give talks and Father will bless the window once again where he’ll splash it with holy water,” Hannan said. “We’ll then have a ceremonial procession with music and then go downstairs and eat.”