| June Berg's Memorial Stained Glass Windows |
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| Written by Stanton O. Berg |
| Friday, 26 December 2008 11:40 |
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June K. (Rolstad) Berg has two stained glass window memorials in the Holy Spirit Chapel at the Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck, New Brighton, MN. June was a resident in the Villa (Alzheimer’s wing) of the Benedictine Health Center Nursing Home at Innsbruck from March 24th, 2006 until God called her home Thursday October 23rd, 2008. The Holy Spirit Chapel has a set of three stained glass windows. High up on the east wall of the Chapel just behind the alter there is a large half moon shaped section of three stained glass windows. This large stained glass window (a span of several feet) is called the “Holy Trinity Window.” It is divided into three sections. (Left, right and center sections.) (Below is a photo of the large Holy Trinity Window - Center third is the section dedicated to my wife June K. Berg and to my mother Ellen F. Silbaugh and to all of the World Wide Victims of Alzheimer's.)
The necessary donations have been made to the Innsbruck Foundation to cover the cost of the center section of the "Holy trinity Window.” This is the larger of the three sections and contains a white dove to depict the Holy Spirit. The donations confer the privilege of designating the window in honor and memory of a loved one. This window has been designated to be in honor and memory of my wife June K. Berg and to my mother Ellen F. Silbaugh as well as to all of the World Wide Victims of Alzheimer’s. A plaque on the wall under the window reads:
“In Honor and Memory of my wife June K. Berg and my mother Ellen F. Silbaugh, both victims of Alzheimer’s. It is also in memory of the millions of World Wide Victims of Alzheimer’s with the prayer that God will grant them all Peace. Stan Berg and the Berg Family”
In addition the two side walls are banks of windows. The right or south wall has12 windows in a design called the “Tree of Life Window.” The north or left side wall also has a bank of 12 windows called the “Heart of Love Window.” Each individual window is 18 inches wide by 25-1/2 inches tall. The necessary donations have been made to the Innsbruck Foundation to cover the cost of two of the individual windows in the north wall or the “Heart of Love Window.” The selected window contains the greater portion of a large red heart. This window is dedicated in honor and memory of my wife June K. Berg. Just immediately above and to the left of this window is the other window that is dedicated in honor and memory of my mother Ellen F. (Nedland) Silbaugh. (Below is June's "Heart of Love Window" - Window is 18" by 25-1/2".)
The heart window has a plaque on the frame under the window that reads: “In Honor and Memory of June K. Berg Loving Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Friend. Stan, a forever grateful husband”
The artist who designed the windows is Dietrich Spahn, a well known stained glass Liturgical artist. Spahn prepared an “Artist’s Impressions” (below) of the windows that he designed and created: "Holy Trinity Window"
The Father and Creator of all things, God’s Son, the human face of God, and The Holy Spirit, the love of God who dwells in us.
Trinity implies the elements of community, unity and mystery. In the center of the window is the Holy Spirit depicted as a dove. The seven white and red flames represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. A golden shape surrounds the dove like a halo and water flows from it to earth, like the waters of baptism, which unite is with the risen Christ and all Christians. A rainbow flowing from the golden shape refers to God’s covenant with humankind, through Noah, that a flood will never again destroy the world. The red rose symbolized Jesus and his limitless love for us. But alas, roses have thorns, and his suffering was great. "Heart of Love Window"
On November 26th, 2007, all of the stained glass windows in the Holy Spirit Chapel were blessed in a special ceremony by Archbishop John C. Nienstedt. Part of the blessing involved the sprinkling of "Holy Water" on the windows. For information on Dieterich Spahn, the designer and artist and his 40 years of producing "Liturgical" stained glass windows, click on the below link to connect to his web site.: "Dieterich Spahn Associates Inc."
Stan Berg - July 2010
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June Berg's Memorial Stained Glass Windows




