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The use of stained glass has a long tradition in the Church. Besides its decorative use, it was also used as a teaching or catechetical device. Scenes from the Bible were depicted, and could then be used by preachers to help a poorly educated or even illiterate congregation to understand the Scriptures and its teachings. The windows could then be a source of reflection and prayer afterwards, much as someone today might read a Scripture passage as a source of prayer.

A University community’s needs are very different. A highly literate community, capable of abstract thought and sustained reflection is in need of an art form that can move them in such a direction. Consequently an art form that is more abstract and symbolic seemed appropriate for the Gannon community. It is our hope that these windows will be a continuing source of inspiration and reflection, helping our community to raise our minds and hearts in prayer and praise.

Designed by John Vahanian, an Erie native, and fabricated by Pittsburgh Stained Glass Studios, these windows are a significant artistic and religious statement of the Gannon University community. They were dedicated on October 1, 1993.