Pittsburgh Stained Glass Windows Donated To Church In Africa

SEWICKLEY (KDKA) -- People from Pittsburgh packed into St. James Catholic Church in Sewickley Thursday.

Their mission was to raise money to ship 11 stained glass windows more than 5,500 miles across the world.

The windows, from the former St. Anthony's Catholic Church near Bridgeville, will be sent to St. James Catholic Church in southwestern Nigeria, where a new church is being built.

"They were in need of stained glass windows and religious articles and Father John said, 'you know, here in Pittsburgh, they're closing many parishes and some of those religious articles and artifacts are being stored,'" said Reverend Carmen D'Amico.

Instead of storing the items, religious leaders decided to donate them to the parish in Nigeria.

The big question: how to get them there.

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Donations started pouring in and a "Windows For Africa" fundraiser helped quite a bit too. It will cost about $10,000 to pack and ship the beautiful windows.

"We're going to be shipping the windows, please God, we're going to be shipping the windows on April 28," D'Amico said.

Medical supplies are also being sent with the windows. They will be sent to a hospital near the church.

Those involved in the planning of this whole effort, say its a perfect example of people uniting.

"The church is universal and everyone, everyone has a part to play, whether its in the African black church or Asian, maybe its an American church, it is Catholic, it is universal," Reverend John Odeyemi said.