The stained-glass window to the north in the choir loft is of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. It was donated by Werner (Vern) and Helga Hoing of Surrey, B.C.
Werner Hoing came to Canada from Germany in October of 1954 and worked for a short time in Humboldt, and then in Saskatoon in the furniture business. He moved to B.C. in 1955 where he became a successful entrepreneur.
While living in Humboldt, Vern visited St. Peter’s Cathedral and was very impressed with its beauty. The cathedral was built in 1910 and since then has undergone repair work and renovations. Vern made a donation towards one of the roof-repair projects. The Restoration Committee invited him to sponsor a stained-glass window when windows were being installed to celebrate the centennial of the parish building. The funds raised by the Stained Glass Window Project helped pay for renovations that occurred between 2008-10.
The miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe occurred in December of 1531 when the Virgin Mary appeared three times to an indigenous man, Juan Diego. The apparition occurred on Tepeyac Hill which is now part of Mexico City. The Virgin Mary instructed Juan Diego to tell the bishop to build a church in her honour. The bishop requested proof of this request. The bishop believed Juan Diego when Juan Diego brought the bishop beautiful roses from Tepeyac Hill. Roses were not in bloom in December. When Juan Diego opened his tilma to present the roses, the image of Our Lady was enshrined on the inside tilma.
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is displayed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City. The cloth, made of cactus fiber, should have deteriorated in its first 30 years. The tilma remains perfectly intact some 500 years later. Science cannot explain the origin of the image of Our Lady. Many miracles have occurred in the basilica, all of which are attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Between 18 to 20 million pilgrims visit the basilica each year making it the most popular pilgrimage destination in the Americas.
Pope Pius XII, in 1946, declared Our Lady of Guadalupe to be the Patroness of the Americas. The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12.
The choir loft windows are situated above the stained-glass windows in the main body of the church. The artist used this space to develop themes set apart from the other windows and to incorporate bold colours. The window of Our Lady of Guadalupe captures the essence of the prairies through wheat fields, blue sky and grass. Our Lady of Guadalupe is traditionally depicted wearing blue robes. The moon, the symbol of the darkness of sin, is beneath her feet and the sun, the symbol of the light of grace, surrounds Our Lady and her clothes for all eternity.
“Your artist, Elaina Adams, excelled in the work she did with her stained-glass art. We think the window is beautiful and will honour our Lady through the ages. God Bless,” said Vern Hoing.