Stained glass windows at St. Paul Church in Highland depict events in St. Paul’s life. Francis Deck, a stained glass artist at Emil Frei and Associates in St. Louis, designed the windows for the church, built in 1954. Windows depicting St. Paul’s travels and the many letters he wrote to his followers flank each other at the front of the basilica-style, cross shape church interior.

HIGHLAND - When Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the Year of St. Paul to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the apostle's birth, the Holy Father called on people to reflect on the life and writings of St. Paul.

St. Paul Church in Highland, the only church in the Springfield diocese named solely for "apostle to the Gentiles," is a great place to visit to get a capsule view of St. Paul's life, as eight of the 11 stained glass windows in the 54-year-old church depict events and elements in his life. A single word, or a few words are incorporated into each design - occupation, stoning of St. Stephen, conversion, vision, escape, martyr, travel and epistles.

"The windows are really cool," says Father Chuck Edwards, St. Paul pastor. "Even though they are 54 years old, they look very contemporary, and are still in very good condition." Starting last month and continuing once a month, a photo of one of the windows will run on the cover of the bulletin, he says.

Also in the weekly bulletin, a series of ongoing information about St. Paul and his teachings will run during the Pauline Year, which began June 28 and ends June 29, 2009. "They will be short blurbs run under the title ‘Saul to Paul - one incredible story ... celebrating the Year of St. Paul,'" says Carol Hendricks, the St. Paul parishioner researching and writing the blurbs.

The first window featured was Occupation. St. Paul is shown beside a tent, holding a threaded needle in one hand, as he was a tent maker by trade. In the Stoning of St. Stephen window, Paul is in the background watching as another figure with a huge stone in his hands is about to strike St. Stephen.

Francis Deck, a stained glass artist at Emil Frei Associates in St. Louis, designed the windows. "These are original designs made specifically to St. Paul Church," says Stephen Frei. "We don't ever do anything twice. When we design windows for a particular church, we spend a long time working with the parish committee to learn what is important to that particular church, and design windows appropriate for its style of architecture."

Deck, who passed away eight years ago, also designed the stained glass windows at St. Bernard Church in Wood River, the chapel at Saint Anthony Hospital in Alton, and St. Agnes Church in Springfield, among other places in the Springfield diocese.

Father David Peters, who retired in 2007, after serving 20 years as St. Paul pastor, points out a little red circle of glass in the window depicting the stoning of St. Stephen. "I remember reading somewhere about it, as possibly the designer's way of signing the pieces," says Father Peters.

"Legend had it that Paul, who was called Saul, was knocked off his horse in his conversion," says Father Peters. But he pointed out there is no mention of a horse in Scripture. "In the stained glass Conversion, there is no horse. It is much more accurate," he says.

Highland was first settled in the early 1830s by a doctor and his three sons who came from the German-speaking part of Lucerne, Switzerland. By 1841 the village had 50 dwellings and a saw mill, when 72 more settlers arrived from Baden, Germany, and settled down to farming. The parish was founded in 1844, and the first St. Paul Church was built in 1846. It was replaced in 20 years by a larger church which served until the present church was built in the 1950s. In 1972 that church was renovated to meet changing liturgical norms, and in 1991 it underwent another renovation.

Highland still retains elements of its Swiss and German heritage, including what has become one of its best well known events, the St. Paul Parish two-day Kirchenfest. This year's Kirchenfest is Aug. 23 and 24, and includes a Strassenlauf (street run), a Scoop to Nuts auction, food stands, games, fancywork stands, multiple raffles, live music and a chicken dinner.

"We're fixing the old bells at the church, and hopefully they will ring again for the first time at Kirchenfest," says Father Edwards.