Faith shines through Sacred Heart Church windows

He is a tireless champion of hope with a keen eye for history.

And at age 80, Father Paul Magnano (pronounced Mun-yawn-o) is focused on both as he reflects on the beautiful stained-glass windows at historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church as vessels to cast light on what were the hopes and achievements of early local parishioners and clergy.

Magnano, who grew up in Seattle, is especially fond of La Conner history and that of Sacred Heart, on the corner of Douglas and Fourth streets, where he initially served as priest from 1986 to 1998 and has since returned to pastor here and at other smaller Catholic parishes in Skagit County.

His current Friday morning messages at Sacred Heart are revisiting the stories of those families, who just after the turn of the 20th century, donated to the purchase of the church's iconic stained-glass windows.

Magnano's primary source for the weekly series is a booklet celebrating Sacred Heart's centennial, highlighting the donors and their connections to the church. Its authors are Marilyn Thostenson, Connie Funk and the late Shirlee Dessert.

Their work quickly proved a gem in Magnano's eyes.

"I loved it," Magnano told the Weekly News, "when I came across the part that said the windows cost $50 each."

That was no small outlay 120 years ago. It's equal to over $1,750 in today's economy.

There are 17 windows in total, including one sponsored by the town's founders, Louisa Ann and John S. Conner, who were devout Catholics.

There are written accounts of the couple's role in designing picturesque Sacred Heart, which opened its doors in 1899 and is a favorite with professional photographers and selfie-taking tourists alike.

The windows stand out both for their artistry and as enduring symbols of the church's history. Magnano said Louisa Ann Conner clearly recognized their potential lasting impact.

"She wanted people to donate," he said of the town's namesake, who is said to have traveled by canoe to La Conner area farms and camps as early as the 1870s seeking financial support for establishing a Catholic church in town.

Window donors included an early Sacred Heart priest described in the booklet as compelled by Mrs. Conner's gentle nudging to purchase one of the lasting glass memorials. Another donor was a relative of hers, Mount Vernon attorney William Franklin. Her daughter, Lillian Kendall, also bought a window. So, too, did Matt Decker, a local farmer and business associate of famed La Conner pioneer John Peth, Sr.

Magnano takes great joy in bringing their stories to life.

Turns out, he has quite a story himself. Magnano was born to an Italian immigrant family that made its mark in Puget Sound in the food wholesale business.

The family was profiled in a feature developed by KING-TV's Bob Royer, whose brother, Charles Royer, served as Mayor of Seattle from 1978-1990.

As a youth, Magnano felt called to the priesthood. He was ordained at St. Peter's Basilica, in Rome, in December 1967, as the anti-war movement in the United States began taking hold. While there, he witnessed demonstrations at the U.S. Embassy protesting American involvement in Vietnam.

Magnano had considered an academic career with the Jesuit order before opting for Diocesan service.

"I felt there was a greater need for priests in parishes than in schools," he said.

That choice led him to assignments at Marysville-Tulalip and in Bellingham, where Magnano ministered to Western Washington University students as fighting escalated in southeast Asia.

His work didn't go unnoticed. Longtime Seattle P-I columnist Joel Connelly, who retired two years ago after nearly a half-century in journalism, once referred to Magnano as "a priest's priest."

Arriving at Sacred Heart in the 1980s was a godsend for Magnano. He had family here, including Father Pat Twohy, who served two decades at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Swinomish Village before moving on to an urban Native American ministry at Seattle University.

Like Twohy, the unfailingly optimistic Magnano retains a link between La Conner, at his home on Third Street, and Seattle. He is the founding pastor of Christ Our Hope Church near Pike Place Market, where Magnano also has a residence.

The gleaming stained-glass windows at Sacred Heart welcome Magnano at the end of his weekly drive here from the big city.

"I love living here and l love living in downtown Seattle," he said. "I tell people I live in the best places in the world. The problem is what's in between – I-5."

Fortunately, bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic won't bring to a standstill Magnano's ongoing reflections of the revered Sacred Heart windows.