Albany, N.Y., Mar 16, 2005 / 22:00 pm
As Americans from coast to coast celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today with things like green beverages and parades, a group of Irish-Catholic descendents are searching for remnants of a fabled past.
Back in the late 1800’s up until the depression, a group of Irish immigrants, known as The Ancient Order of Hibernians, donated much of their meager earnings from work in railroad building and coal digging to buy stained glass windows for Catholic Churches nationwide.
The windows, depicting St. Patrick and various New Testament scenes, are now in danger of being forever lost to history.
Modern-day Hibernians are scouring some churches hoping to find scattered pieces of a past rich in faith, tradition and sacrifice.