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This is the original building and contains offices, bedrooms and a beautiful chapel in the center.
Our Lady of Victory Chapel served the Victory Noll Community from December 8, 1924, when the first Mass was celebrated by Father John Sigstein, Founder, until the late 1950s. In 1958 ground was broken for the Archbishop Noll Memorial Chapel. It was formally dedicated May 25, 1961.
Bishop Noll personally provided funds for the furnishings of Our Lady of Victory Chapel although he left the details to Father Sigstein. In keeping with the Spanish architecture of the Motherhouse, the chapel was modeled after the mission churches in the Southwest. It is characterized by vigas (Spanish for beams) across the ceiling. Like typical mission churches in New Mexico, the walls were left bare. Twice since, in the 1930s and again in the 1960s, the walls were painted. The Chicago-based Deprato Company designed the chapel according to Father Sigstein’s specifications.
The statue of Our Lady of Victory, patroness of the community, is a modernized version of the statue at the famous shrine of Our Lady of Victory in Paris. On the opposite side is a statue of St. Joseph holding the Child Jesus. A statue of the Sacred Heart is high above the main altar.
The stained glass windows are from Munich. Monsignor John Oechtering, a priest from Germany and pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Fort Wayne at the time, suggested this special firm in his homeland. Father Sigstein chose saints especially devoted to the Mother of God and those who were known as outstanding preachers and missionaries.
On the left (west) side, near the altar of Our Lady of Victory, the saints portrayed are:
St. Boniface, patron of Germany.
St. Francis Xavier, Jesuit missionary to India and patron of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
St. Therese of Lisieux, Carmelite who offered her prayers and sufferings for missionaries and who is co-patron of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
The next window depicts a Victory Noll Sister in the original habit. Marie Hughes, an artist from St. Louis, furnished the sketch.
St. Paul the Apostle is recognized with the sword with which he suffered martyrdom.
St. Cecilia, an early-century martyr, known as the patron of music, is pictured with a musical instrument.
On the right (east) side are:
St. Patrick, patron of Ireland.
St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Clare of Assisi who founded what is known today as the community of Poor Clares.
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation nun in France in the 17th century, is pictured in the white veil of a novice.
The next window represents a missionary to Native Americans.
St. Vincent de Paul was a favorite saint of Father Sigstein who, like Vincent, was devoted to serving the poor.
The saints pictured in the circles high above the windows were added in the 1930s. On the left (west) side are:
St. Louis de Montfort who propagated devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. Unlike the others, Louis has no halo; his image was painted before his canonization took place.St. Alphonsus de Liguori wrote and preached on devotion to Mary. He is known also as an indefatigable missionary.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem is a doctor of the Church, noted for his catechetical writings.
On the right (east) side are:
St. Francis de Sales, doctor of the Church.
St. Augustine whose writings are well-known.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercian, also a devotee of
Mary and doctor of the Church.
High above—near the ceiling—are symbols of the Litany of Loretto. The words of this litany are on the walls at the entrance to the chapel. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in Our Lady of Victory Chapel. Occasionally small groups come to Victory Noll for a day of recollection. Mass is then offered here.
Our Lady of Victory Missonary Sisters is an American Missionary Congregation founded in 1922 — serving the poor and oppressed in a personal, non-institutional way
+ Proclaiming the Gospel + Working for Justice + Empowering the Laity
