St. Boniface Window

Originally the parish was named St. Boniface, reflecting its German heritage. St. Boniface was the first missionary sent by the pope in the eighth century to the German tribes. Unsuccessful at first with his conversion efforts, he learned of the Oak of Thor, a giant oak sacred to the pagans on Mount Gudenburg. Boniface began chopping the tree down as the pagans waited for him to be struck dead by their gods for his sacrilege. When the tree fell and nothing happened to him, the pagans were converted to Christianity. Not only did Boniface chop down the tree, he used lumber from it to build the first Christian chapel in Germany. The ax and tree stump as well as the broken pillar symbolize this event. He was later made a bishop as reflected by his clothing. St. Boniface is holding a book with a dagger in it representing the manner of his death. Pagans stabbed him to death with a dagger as he was reading the book of Gospels. The German inscription reads, "Given by the family of A. Gittrich",one of the original founders of the parish.
This is a print of a watercolor painting by Jennifer Walterscheid in 2008. The window can be found in St. Anthony Catholic Church in Wichita, Kansas.