New Building Additions Brighten the Hallways at Regis

This fall, students at Regis have been introduced to two new building additions that were generously donated to the school.

On the 84th Street stairwell landing between the second and third floors, two brightly-colored, backlit stained glass windows now brighten the path students take from one class to the next.

The windows originate from the retreat house chapel at Mount Manresa, a retreat house that was often visited by Regians for Quest and Emmaus retreats. The Mount Manresa retreat house closed in June, and its series of stained glass windows--featuring Jesuit saints--were donated to institutions through the Province. Regis recieved the Saint John Francis Regis window and the window of Saint Ignatius.

In addition to the new stained glass window installments, the Regis Library now showcases a rare collection of antiquities. The antiquities include artifacts---some of which are over three and a half thousand years old---from different near-Eastern cultures. The artifacts are on display in a permanent exhibit located in the main library corridor.

The collection was donated to Regis by Dr. and Mrs. Emil and Patricia Polak. Dr. Polak, a retired professor of Classics at CUNY, spent much of his career cataloging ancient collections, and collecting these items was very much a hobby. The couple recently began looking for a suitable home for their collection. Though they had no prior connection to Regis, they knew of its strong academic reputation, and felt Regis would be a worthy recipient.

Above: The newly installed stained glass windows located on the 84th Street stairwell landing between the second and third floors.

Above: Antiquities on display in the Regis library.

Above: Pottery and Glass Fragments; c. 100 BCE - 200 CE, Roman and Nabatean