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September 26, 2024Mary’s head bows to the Archangel Gabriel, who is delivering the news that she will become the mother of our Savior.
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”
The Holy Spirit hovers above, in the form of a dove amid a burst of light. The archangel clutches a lily, a symbol of the virgin’s purity.
Of course, Mary responds, “Let it be done to me, according to your Word.”
The Annunciation of Mary is presented in one of a dozen stained glass windows dedicated to celebrating the life of Mary and her role in Salvation history; the windows among the many artistic images bringing beauty to The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
Emil Frei Art and Glass Co. in St. Louis crafted the windows, which still stand out today due to the colors and detail displayed in each. Emil Frei utilized a Munich Pictorial style, with a team of artists taking great care in an elaborate process of painting the windows.
The company continues on today, known as Emil Frei and Associates and featuring a fifth generation of family and others dedicated to the stained glass studio.
Aaron Frei, current president and a great-great grandson of Emil Frie, started working the family business at the age of 11 and is familiar with the evolution of Our Lady’s Cathedral.
“I had the privilege of touring the cathedral while it was under renovation and was impressed by the care and artistry devoted to it,” he said.
Father Rick Stansberry, the current rector of the cathedral, finds himself surrounded and awed by the beauty that marks nearly every aspect of the building.
“What strikes me is how detailed the windows are and how the artist used his own touch in each of them,” Fr. Stansberry said. “They were obviously something the artist not only created but they believed in as well.”
Aaron Frei would agree.
“Sacred art has always been a wonderful vehicle to deliver the faith,” he wrote in a letter shared with Sooner Catholic, “either in the content depicted or in the beauty which inspires.”
John Helsley is the editor of the Sooner Catholic.
Photos Avery Holt/Sooner Catholic and Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Archives.
