Bro. Carl Bouchereau, S.C. shared with all 8th graders the history behind the stained glass window in the hallway of the Cor Jesu building. The technique of stained glass, which dates back to the Middle Ages, in this case tells the story of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in Lyon, France and their journey to America.
In the center of the window is the Sacred of Heart of Jesus with Guardian Angels on both sides. Then, on the right side, we see Br. Polycarp, our first Brother Superior General, and the Brothers in Lyon, France with the Chapel where the first group of Brothers made their vows – the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fourvière. On the left side, we see Bishop Portier welcoming the five Brothers of the Sacred Heart- Bro. Alphonse, Bro. Athanasius, Bro. David, Bro. Placide, and Bro. Jean-Baptist – to Mobile, Alabama. Those five Brothers made the 111 day journey to America from Lyon, France to begin their work at the Catholic Mobile orphanage, St. Vincent’s, at the invitation of Bishop Portier. After leaving the 275 Brothers in Paradis, France on the 25th anniversary of the Brothers’ foundation, the five boarded a train to Paris and on to LaHarve where they boarded the ship ‘Anna’. Despite many delays and bad weather, the five Brothers arrived in Mobile, AL on January 11, 1847. Bishop Portier taught the Brothers some English so as to take over over St. Vincent’s; the orphanage closed in the late 1970’s, approximately 123 years later. Behind the Brothers, in this stained glass piece, is the Basilica in Mobile, AL where those Brothers were warmly welcomed. This Basilica and the city of Mobile hold a special place in the hearts and history of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart since their arrival in 1847.
The stained glass window, donated by the Mothers’ Club of St. Aloysius in the late 1950s, was housed in the Brothers’ House of Studies in Mobile adjacent to Spring Hill College campus until the late 1960’s. It was brought to our school on Elysian Fields in 1969. Additionally, Brother Martin High School’s Branton Chapel also has three stained glass windows from the Brother’s chapel in Paradis. These windows depict the Sacred Heart. Both churches in Lyon, France and Mobile, AL have plaques commemorating the work and enduring presence of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.
Special thanks to Bro. Carl for continuing to make the Brothers of the Sacred Heart’s history come to life.
