Starting Monday April 25, St. Jude Chapel will undergo a major repair project on all of the stained-glass and skylight windows. This four-part project, approved by the Finance Council and supported by the generosity of the St. Jude Chapel Community, will start Monday and end in about 12 weeks. 

The first part of the project is the John Kebrle designed stained-glass skylight. There is major structural damage that must be addressed so that it will last for another 54 or more years. The stained-glass skylight window will be taken out after the scaffolding is up; the Baldacchino (ornate chandelier over the altar) will be removed and placed in storage, the area will be repainted, and it will be updated to outfit with LED lighting. After a week, the scaffolding will go away, and the stained glass will come back ready to be reinstalled in approximately 12 weeks.

The second part is the Kebrle designed 14 Stations of the Cross stained-glass windows. These panels will be removed and repaired (if needed) and all of the lighting will be upgraded to LED lighting.

The outside Dalle de Verre stained-glass windows is the third part. There is a major piece that is broken in the middle window that needs to be replaced.

The fourth part of this project is the replacement of all the skylight windows. There is a major window over the stained-glass skylight that will be replaced and there are smaller skylights throughout that will all be replaced with new impact resistant skylights.

This of course has been made possible through the ongoing generosity of the SJC Community. If you would like to help offset our planned costs by making a donation, visit this page.. Be sure to put stained-glass project in the comments section so we can identify this gift.

We found this note written from John Kebrle to Monsignor Arthur Hughes May 21, 1968 that we wanted to share with you as it is fitting as to why we are embarking on this project now:
“The good we do lives on after us and it must give you [Mr. Hughes] much satisfaction and pleasure to have realized a long held dreame [SIC] at last.” 

As we approach the 54th anniversary of when St. Jude Chapel opened its doors – April 29, 2022 – we are blessed to be today’s stewards and caretakers of such an invaluable source of meditation, prayer and sacraments in the heart of downtown Dallas.

Thank you again for your support and continued generosity.

Fr. Bierschenk and the St. Jude Chapel Staff