Stained-glass window of patron saint installed at St. Olaf Catholic School in Bountiful

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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Peter Ruplinger poses with the stained-glass window he created and installed in Saint Olaf Catholic School’s Great Room.

BOUNTIFUL — The installation of a stained-glass window of their patron saint has brought the Great Room of Saint Olaf Catholic School in Bountiful one step closer to being completely finished.

The Great Room, part of the 16,000-square-foot expansion of the school that was dedicated last March, serves as a cafeteria for the students as well as a venue for school functions and parish events. The renovation also included four classrooms, offices and new restrooms for students and staff. Among the work still to be completed is the installation of a commercial-grade kitchen.  

The window depicting St. Olaf was designed, created and donated by Peter Ruplinger, of Ruplinger Glass Art in Bountiful. He used primarily Dalle de Verre glass on which he painted the image, he said in an email, adding that this type of art is extremely long-lasting. “The portrait of Saint Olaf will survive for centuries, certainly longer than the building itself,” he wrote.

Ruplinger was enthusiastic about the subject matter because he had learned about St. Olaf years ago on a trip to Norway, he said. After some thought, he decided to depict the saint holding a cross in one hand, with the other outstretched in a welcoming gesture. A halo surrounds St. Olaf’s head, and he looks toward the cross. The frame around the saint contains stars at the top and Norwegian herring at the bottom.    

The stars symbolize the glory of the firmament of the earth, while fish are an ancient symbol of Christianity, according to a press release from the school.

St. Olaf was king of Norway in the 11th century. He is the patron saint of Norway, the Faroe Islands, carvers and difficult marriages.

His namesake parish in Bountiful was dedicated in 1954 by the Most Rev. Duane G. Hunt, sixth Bishop of Salt Lake. According to Salt of the Earth: The History of the Catholic Diocese in Utah, the parish was named after St. Olaf “because many Norwegians and Scandinavians lived in Utah.”  

The parish’s current pastor, Father Andrezej Skrzypiec, said he thinks the window enhances the Great Room.

The window, which is 66 inches in diameter was installed on March 26; it is set 20 feet above the floor of the room.

At the installation, Tina Bergquist the school principal, said, “We are blessed to have the treasures of time and talent represented on our campus through this piece of art that demonstrates the strength and support of our community,” according to a press release from the school.