The stained glass windows and sweeping roof line help to define the interior of the Church of the Palms. Photo provided
Church of the Palms is repairing the stunning stained-glass art in its sanctuary and narthex that has decorated the church since the mid-1960s. This is mouth-blown sheet glass manufactured by Lamberts Glass in Germany, the most expensive stained glass produced in the world. The glass is known for its transparency and colors and its special texture.
Because the windows were custom-designed for the Delray Beach church some 60 years ago, there’s little value to a buyer, so church leaders decided to preserve and restore the originals installed by Nobis Studios from Canton, Ohio.
They were not hurricane protected. Over time, the panels have weakened. In April 2022, a plan — and an agreement by the congregation to borrow $300,000 to be repaid from a capital campaign — led to the hiring of McMow Art Glass and DeMattia & Son Construction to do the work.
In January, church leaders reported the campaign raised more than enough money to restore the windows, and work began late that month.
Safely reinstalled behind impact glass, the panels in the narthex should be safe from hurricane damage.
In late March, the restored stained-glass panels in the narthex were reinstalled, safe behind hurricane-resistant glass. Impressive craftsmanship makes the windows look new.
The windows depict the hand as a symbol for God; the fish as a symbol for Jesus, the Christ; and the descending dove as a symbol for the descent of the Holy Spirit.
The Rev. Todd Petty, with the help of vice moderator Bud Scott, is overseeing the project. It’s detailed and difficult work and the church is grateful to have McMow’s gifted artists doing the job.
The next windows to be restored are the second-story windows behind the altar, which are already challenging workers who have to climb the bulky scaffolding to reach the highest pieces of fragile glass. The windows need to be hurricane protected before they can be reinstalled.
Still, the project is fascinating to anyone interested in the art of stained glass.
Church services are held at 10 a.m. Sundays at 1960 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. 561-276-6347 or www.churchofthepalms.net.
Boca Helping Hands
needs donors, volunteers
Everyone is feeling the bite of inflation but local food banks are in dire need of help. The demand for a pantry bag from Boca Helping Hands skyrocketed by 37% over last year, with almost 10,000 people lining up to take advantage of the nonprofit’s services. Even at the height of the pandemic, the demand was lower: BHH gave out about 6,100 bags per month.
Cereal4All, the nonprofit started by twins Jett and Luke Justin of Boca Raton in 2016, stepped up its collections and delivered nearly 2,500 boxes of cereal to BHH, and the Junior League of Boca Raton fills weekend bags to feed students when they’re not in school.
So how can you help any food bank?
• Clean out your pantry and donate whatever you can.
• Hold a canned food drive. Or a “donation party,” which sounds like a lot more fun. The cost of admission to your next pool party or barbecue could be some non-perishables.
• Volunteer your time.
• Make a cash donation so the food bank you support can buy what it doesn’t get. Some of them are Boca Helping Hands, Caring Kitchen, the Palm Beach County Food Bank and Feeding South Florida’s branch in Boynton Beach.
• Encourage your kids to get involved with Cereal4All or another group fighting hunger.
• Think outside the kitchen: Some food banks also accept hygiene products.
• Don’t forget the condiments! Mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, catsup and hot sauce are staples to some people.
• Write your legislators to express your concerns.
Nuremberg jurist
Ferencz dies at 103
Benjamin Berell Ferencz, the last living Nuremberg trials prosecutor and a resident of Delray Beach, died April 7 at the age of 103. Known for investigating Nazi war crimes after World War II, Ferencz was born in Hungary (now Romania) to illiterate parents. But his intellect was recognized and his grades at City College of New York earned him a scholarship to Harvard Law School. After law school, he enlisted in the Army and he landed at Normandy and fought across France and Germany.
After his discharge, he volunteered to serve as chief prosecutor for the U.S. Army in the war crime trials against the Nazis. He indicted 24 men and convicted all of them.
Ferencz remained in Europe after the trials, until 1956 when he returned to New York to practice law. But the Vietnam War drove him underground to write books promoting peace. Ferencz was the author of nine books, hundreds of articles, and he spoke half a dozen languages.
A family man, Ferencz married his teenage girlfriend, Gertrude Fried, in New York in 1946. They remained married — “without a quarrel,” he claimed — until she died in 2019.
They had four children: a son, Donald Ferencz, and three daughters, Nina Dale, Robin Ferencz-Kotfica and Keri Ferencz. They had three grandchildren.
Ferencz lived with his son in Delray Beach for the last few years. He died at an assisted living facility in Boynton Beach.
Cason UMC will let you
shred papers for a fee
Thank goodness that online access to information has decreased the amount of waste paper the average person produces, but as we purge old records, it’s paramount that we dispose of sensitive material safely.
Cason United Methodist Church will hold a shredding event from 9 a.m.-noon June 24 at the church at 342 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
Accepted items: paper, checkbooks, statements, tax returns, bills, receipts, manila folders. Paper clips and staples are OK.
Excluded items: boxes, cardboard, X-rays, food, newspaper, glass, magazines, plastic, dark colored folders, metal objects or equipment.
This is a church fundraiser so the cost is $5 per banker’s box, $10 per bag. Cash is preferred. Credit cards will be accepted with $25 minimum. Call 561-788-2822 with questions.
— Janis Fontaine
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