The third stained glass window installed on May 20, 2008 depicts the sacrament of Confirmation.  The word confirmation means a “strengthening”. The Holy Spirit comes and strengthens those gifts we received at baptism.  The Sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation are very closely united, and they are both sacraments of initiation into our Catholic faith, along with Eucharist.  The Truth, of course, is that the Holy Spirit is given in both baptism and confirmation.  But the function of the Holy Spirit in each is different.  The difference is hinted at by St. Augustine when he explains that in baptism we are mixed with water so that we might take the form of bread, the body of Christ.  But bread, he points out, then needs to be baked in the fire; and this fire is supplied by the chrism which is “the sacrament of the Holy Spirit”, who was revealed in tongues of fire.  The tongues of fire in our window represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are listed in Isaiah 11: 2-3; they are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude or courage, knowledge, fear of the Lord, and piety or love.

In this window the Holy Spirit (represented by the white dove) appears on the winds of Gods Holy Grace. Also swirling in these winds God presented seven tongues of fire signifying his love. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are represented by the pieces of red glass with the yellow glass in the center being the fire of the Holy Spirit.

The window was designed and built by Susan Alexander, who is a local artist here in Gobles.

Design for the window was started on March 13, 2008. The design was presented to our Futures Committee to review and after some discussion it was decided that we have Msgr. Tom Martin review the designs to insure they were theologically correct. A meeting was set up with the artist, Mary Jo Kennedy, and Deacon John Bodway to meet with Msgr. Martin. This design was approved as it was originally presented. The window was completed on May 18, 2008 and installed on May 20, 2008. The total time to build this window was 127.5 hours, which includes the cutting of glass, copper foiling each piece and soldering.  The confirmation window has 207 pieces of glass. The two smallest pieces of glass in the window is the green piece between the two top feathers of the doves right wing and his blue eye.  The blessing of the confirmation window was done by Fr. Robert F. Creagan on May 25, 2008 during the 9:30am Mass. The window was donated by Marilyn and Jim Cusack.