‘Flying nun’ replaces protective covering over historic church windows

‘Flying nun’ replaces protective covering over historic church windows
Jeffrey Moore, Nick Vogel, Ryan Loomis with Sister Diane Couture

The colors of the stained-glass windows at Riverside Presbyterian Church are shining more vibrantly these days thanks to the work of Sister Diane Couture and the St. Joseph Ministries’ Architectural Stained-Glass Studio.

Sister Diane’s crew replaces the Lexan that protects the stained-glass windows at Riverside Presbyterian Church
Sister Diane’s crew replaces the Lexan that protects the stained-glass windows at Riverside Presbyterian Church

Sister Diane is lovingly referred to as “the flying nun,” by Jane Miller, who oversees the project for Riverside Presbyterian’s property and maintenance committee. She and her crew have been replacing the foggy, discolored Lexan, a bullet-proof outside protective layer, which covers the stained-glass windows that grace the historic church’s sanctuary.

A nun with the Sisters of St. Joseph in St. Augustine for 48 years, Couture, a talented artist, has headed the architectural stained-glass studio as a ministry for her sisterhood for the past 36 years. Her ministry seeks to bring “God’s presence, love, and peace to sacred spaces through the gift of stained glass. Using this art form and with God’s grace, we teach, touch, and bring His healing love into the lives of our clients, our students, and all who gaze upon our works of art,” according to the studio’s mission statement.

Ryan Loomis, Nick Vogel, Jeffrey Moore and Sister Diane Couture of St. Joseph Ministries’ Architectural Stained-Glass Studio with Jane Miller of Riverside Presbyterian Church
Ryan Loomis, Nick Vogel, Jeffrey Moore and Sister Diane Couture of St. Joseph Ministries’ Architectural Stained-Glass Studio with Jane Miller of Riverside Presbyterian Church
Clear Lexan protects the stained-glass window in front of Riverside Presbyterian Church
Clear Lexan protects the stained-glass window in front of Riverside Presbyterian Church

Couture’s previous restoration work can be seen in the chapel at Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital, St. Paul’s Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Ortega, and Second Missionary Baptist Church. Her shop in St. Augustine is the only one of its kind in Northeast Florida and just one of a handful in the state. She and her staff of five tackle eight to 10 projects a year, focusing on major orders from churches throughout the United States.  Perhaps one of her most notable projects has been the 9/11 memorial window at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City.

Stained-glass windows at Riverside Presbyterian Church
Stained-glass windows at Riverside Presbyterian Church

Couture said Riverside Presbyterian’s figurative windows are unique. Constructed in 1927, the church’s stained-glass windows were designed, fabricated, and installed by Henry Lee Willet of the Willet Studios of Philadelphia between 1943 and 1948. The windows are worked in the style of medieval glass, with representational figures and symbolism and imagery within each scene.

Church members have taken a leap of faith in deciding to embark on the window project, Miller said, adding that the cost replacing the Lexan on all the windows in the church will be  approximately $150,000. Currently the church has a third of the cost in its endowment, she said, but she has faith the rest of the money will eventually be raised. “Somehow it will get done,” Miller said.

Sister Diane Couture works with Jeffrey Moore in cutting Lexan to fit over the stained-glass windows at Riverside Presbyterian Church
Sister Diane Couture works with Jeffrey Moore in cutting Lexan to fit over the stained-glass windows at Riverside Presbyterian Church

By Marcia Hodgson
Resident Community News

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