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“Since entering St. Peter’s Seminary in
London, Ontario in
1958, I have spent countless hours in its chapel praying
and
participating in liturgical celebrations. As a student
and, later,
as professor of Moral and Sacramental Theology, I have
always appreciated how the oak woodwork and jewel-toned
stained glass windows fill me with wonder and awe.
Yet, only
relatively recently have I realized that these three-storey
windows,
with their outstanding religious figures and symbolism,
are a spiritual treasure trove for us today.
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“About
ten years ago I began to wonder just who some of the figures
were, especially, some of the doctors of the church. ‘Why
are you famous, St. Peter Damian?’ I mused. Why is
St. Jerome dressed like a cardinal when the church had
no such official dress for cardinals during his time? My
questions haunted me, and I began my research.
I soon decided
that these windows deserved a high quality, hard cover
book in which I would attempt to bring these ‘sparkling
tapestries of Scripture and history,’ as Fr. Murray
Watson called them, alive for people searching for the
meaning of our Catholic tradition.”
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St. Jerome |
Fr. Prieur
treats the 73 window panels individually. Each two-page
spread includes detailed photographs, an evocative commentary
with practical, and sometimes piercing, applications
for every day, and an inspiring prayer related to the saint.
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Fr. Michael Prieur, who graduated from St. Peter’s
Seminary, London, Ontario, in 1965,
obtained his Doctorate in Theology from the Pontificio
Ateneo di S. Anselmo in Rome in 1969. As a professor
of Moral and Sacramental Theology at St. Peter’s
Seminary for over thirty-five years, he has specialized
in Bioethics, the Sacrament of Marriage, and the Art of
the Confessor. He has published books, articles and position
papers, and is widely consulted. Presently, he is Coordinator
of the Permanent Deacon Program for the Diocese of London.
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