A stained glass window depicting the Assumption of the Virgin made its reappearance in Gethsemani after many years.

Joan DiStefano has been working to restore some of the stained glass windows which adorned the church before its resoration. These windows were improperly stored (flat rather than on edge) and had shattered, sometimes into hundreds of fragments. Joan believes that these windows are well worth preserving. They originally came from Germany and were made in the late 19th century. She says, "They just don't make glass like this any more."

Joan has already restored the large and startling "lactation" scene from the legends surrounding St. Bernard. This was displayed for awhile at our Welcome Centre

Joan works at the DiStefano Ruiz Studio, which was established in 1978 for the purpose of stained glass and mosaic conservation and restoration. She is a member of the board of directors of the American Glass Guild. She is a third-order Franciscan.