By Edie Schmierbach

Mankato Free Press via AP

MANKATO — Light shining through pictorial images has been used as an important spiritual tool at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church since its first Mass was celebrated in 1885.

“Back in the 1890s, a lot of people didn’t read. Stained glass windows were used to teach and for beauty,” said the Rev. John Kunz, the parish’s priest.

Images and symbols created in glass were used to tell religious stories. Also, light passing through the church’s windows resulted in an other-worldly atmosphere.

That luminous and uplifting effect felt by parishioners who sat in pews at the first church may now be experienced at St. John’s modern-day location at 632 South Broad St., thanks to Kunz’s discovery at a Winona museum and the artisan skills of a retired canning company employee.

About six years ago on a visit to a Diocese museum in Winona, Kunz saw three windows that were labeled as being from St. John’s in Mankato.

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t know they existed,” he said.

About a year ago he brought his idea to the parish.

Kunz had decided to wait to take action because St. John’s parish was undergoing a major renovation. That project was in part designed to bring more natural light into the building.

“There was a lot of excitement about taking on the project. There was no doubt we would be doing this,” said Jaci James, director of liturgy and music and a member of the committee established to work toward the goal of bringing back the stained glass panels.

A priest at the museum who had served in Mankato during the 1970s received St. John’s request to return the windows.

“He was somewhat reluctant but he agreed,” Kunz said.

On May 13, the parish first viewed the uninstalled windows, displayed on easels during Mass and backlit to show their beauty, complete with new glass edging added to the original pieces.