About Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Biloxi, Mississippi:
Perhaps the most notable feature of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Biloxi is its 61 stained-glass windows consisting of 24 major windows—which are the Cathedral’s focal point—along with 37 smaller windows and 6 clear glass windows in the bell tower. However, the ravages of time, major fires that plagued the community, and devastating effects of hurricanes all contributed to the demise of early documentation. Consequently, the history of their origin, delivery, and installation is somewhat hazy.
An historical sketch of the first century of the parish (1843—1943) by Right Reverend Monsignor Geoffrey O’Connell, M.A., Ph.D., Litt.D., Pastor 1942—1967, states that all the windows were purchased in Europe, donated by parishioners as memorials (inscribed on the bottom of 21 windows) and installed over a period of time from 1905 to 1943, replacing the original plain-colored glass. (Several of those original plain-colored glass windows remain on the lower north side of the church, but can only be viewed from inside the sacristy or from outside of the church.) The five oldest stained-glass windows were installed on February 11, 1905 and are located in the Asp.
These magnificent windows are examples of Munich-type glass, a style taking its name from commercial studios in Munich, Germany, but they could just as well originate most anywhere else on the continent.
Munich-type stained glass windows characteristically depict biblical themes and life-like pictures in a monumental, three-dimensional manner. They are usually framed by pillars, canopies, trees, throne room settings, or heavy ornamental drapery. In Munich, window leading is not dictated by glass, but simply used to hold up the glass. Dramatic paint tones and neutral glass colors carry the design of this style, which was popular from 1890 until the Great Depression.
During the day, light coming into the Cathedral is softened and changed into vivid colors giving the religious atmosphere inside the church that enables people to realize that they are on holy ground, in a world quite different from the one outside the church. At night, when the Cathedral light glows, window colors play on nearby streets.
Traveling to Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Biloxi, Mississippi:
Address: 870 Howard Avenue | Biloxi, Mississippi 39530
Phone: +1 (228) 374.1717
Click here for the official website of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Biloxi, Mississippi