By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
In the second window, a hand, representing God the Father, sends the Spirit to a believer during confirmation.
Christ as a lamb bestows the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven in the window for reconciliation.
Consecrated bread and a chalice represent the Eucharist. The initials on the bread stand for Latin for 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews' -- which Pilate nailed to the cross along with Jesus.
The Chi-Rho label, the first initials of 'Christos,' rests in a chalice in the window for holy orders. Behind them, the Keys to the Kingdom reappear, showing the power and responsibility handed down to priests from St. Peter.
A man and woman join hands below interlinked rings in the matrimony window. The monogram behind them is a Tau-Rho, combining two letters from 'stauros' -- the Greek word for 'cross.'
The seventh window, on the sacrament of the sick, merges a priest's hand, the stole which denotes his priestly office, and a bottle of oil which he uses to anoint the sick.
Wooden statue of the parish's patron saint greets visitors to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
In the church breezeway, a mural has St. Elizabeth Ann Seton guiding a couple of the many children for whom she founded Catholic schools.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's face forms the center of the church's rose window, surrounded by 12 religious images.
Blue glass set into the church wall forms an unusual crucifix at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.
A large San Damiano Cross shares the chapel with the sacrament windows. It's a copy of the cross that St. Francis viewed in Italy when he received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ.
Bas-relief of the Last Supper is engraved on the doors of the tabernacle in the chapel. The figure at the left, turning away and holding a small bag, is likely Judas.
"Cast the net on the right side," Jesus tells the disciples -- and it fills with so many fish, they can't haul it in. It's one of 12 windows at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton depicting scenes from Jesus' life.
Jesus feeds 5,000 from a few loaves and fishes.
"Lazarus, come forth!" Jesus says, astonishing onlookers.
"Zacchaeus, come down!" Jesus calls out, in this rarely depicted scene.
"Who touched me?" Jesus exclaims -- and a woman confesses that she was healed by merely touching his clothes.
"Take up your mat and walk," Jesus tells a lame man -- who finds that he can, after 38 years.
A leper throws himself at Jesus' feet in gratitude for his healing -- the only one of 10 lepers who did so.
"Lord, save me!" Peter cries out, after attempting to walk on the Sea of Galilee as Jesus did.
"Peace! Be still!" Jesus tells the wind and waves, to the disciples' amazement.
His first miracle: Jesus turns water into wine during a wedding feast. Note that in this picture, the change begins even as the servant is pouring.
The crucifixion window is among the original windows at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, but it was done by the same artist who created the newer windows.
Jesus ascends after telling his disciples to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel."
A distinctly Florida vision, with Jesus ascending among palm fronds, stands over the inside of the entrance to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.
Outside the church, a monument depicts the Ten Commandments on one side . . .
. . . and the Beatitudes on the other.
A pond fed by a waterfall flows in front of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.
Photography: JIM DAVIS | FC
CORAL SPRINGS | As manifestations of God's love and power, sacraments both show his grace and impart it in the souls of believers.
Some archdiocesan parishes, such as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, convey the sacraments as symbolic art as well as liturgical rites.
"A sacrament is a sacred and visible sign that is instituted by Jesus to give us grace, an undeserved gift from God," Father Richard Vigoa, director of the Office of Worship for the archdiocese, said in an interview. "Sacraments are God's manifestation of tangible signs of God's grace in our lives."
Symbol-laden windows at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church illustrate the seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, reconciliation, the Eucharist, holy orders, matrimony, and anointing of the sick. A dove represents the Holy Spirit; a chalice stands for the Eucharist; the Chi-Rho monogram is drawn from the first two Greek letters of Christos. All are part of a rich vocabulary of Church art.
Other art at the church, including a statue, a mural and a rose window, honor the patron saint of the parish.
Elizabeth Bayley led a rags-to-riches-to-ministry story. Born into an Episcopal family in 1774, she grew up in upper-class New York society. She was taught by her father, a professor at Columbia College. She developed a thirst for reading, especially religious and historical books. She loved the Bible, with the 23rd Psalm a favorite section.
Elizabeth married William Seton, a wealthy businessman, and they had seven children. But their happy family life was cut short when William's business failed and his health faltered. They visited business friends in Italy, hoping his health would recover, but he died there of tuberculosis in 1803.
Despite the tragedy, Elizabeth impressed their friends in Italy with her kindness and patience. She also learned about Catholicism and, after returning to America in 1804, she joined the Church.
Four years later, she moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland, and founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph's, the first female religious community launched in the United States. She also began a free Catholic school in Baltimore. She pronounced her religious vows in 1809.
Her newborn order worked quickly: Within three years, they had launched another school and two orphanages. They were invited to found or take over institutions in New York and Philadelphia.
Mother Seton — her preferred title — died in 1821 at the age of 46. She left behind many diaries and letters, as well as the translation of French works such as those of St. Vincent de Paul. She was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975, the first American-born person to be declared a saint.
Besides the sacrament windows and pictures of Mother Seton, the Coral Springs church has 12 windows on events from the life of Christ. They include not only familiar scenes such as the Crucifixion and the Ascension, but less-common ones such as the calling of Zacchaeus and the raising of Lazarus. The church also has a striking crucifix made of blue glass, as well as a mural of Jesus amid palm fronds.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish was born in September 1985, on the 10th anniversary of her canonization. Its 300 initial members quickly launched several ministries and an ambitious building program. In four years, the congregation had a parish center with 2,200 families and a religious school with 1,400 students. Its 1,200-seat church building was dedicated in 2001.
The church now counts 1,800 member families and runs a range of activities. In non-pandemic times, the members have held an annual golf tournament, a craft show, and meetings of Respect Life and Women's Emmaus groups.
The parish still sponsors blood drives and Zoom-assisted Bible studies, plus meetings of men and youth groups, as well as the St. Vincent de Paul Society and an outreach to the bereaved. And in 2018, after the shootings at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the church held a prayer service to console victims and their families.
