Letter from the Pastor
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August 21, 2022The Church has always been the great patron of art. The Church has always seen the need for art, be it music or painting, as a teaching tool and as nourishment for the Faith. Most of the great Western artists were commissioned by wealthy families, cardinals, and popes to adorn their chapels, churches, and cathedrals with beautiful art depicting the mysteries of the faith; they have become the great masterpieces of the Western culture.
From the days of the catacombs, artwork has adorned the walls of churches. One of the first pieces of religious art is that of our Lord as a young, beardless shepherd boy, with a lamb upon His shoulders. Yet, throughout the history of the early Church, there was a great debate of whether we should try to depict Jesus, Mary, the Saints etc. in art, or were the images too sacred to put on canvas.
The Second Council of Nicea, which ended in AD 787 resolved the issue of painting and using images of Mary and our Lord. The Council did not simply permit the use of images, it mandated the veneration of images of Christ, Our Lady, and the Saints as a necessary aspect of prayer and worship. Every Catholic Church therefore must have images that inspire the faithful to prayer and proper worship.
As we are painting and renovating our Church, I have commissioned two paintings. The one painting will be the Baptism of the Lord by St. John in the Jordan. That painting will hang in the new baptistery area. Both paintings will be done in a triptych. The artist is from Poland and all his paintings are of religious art.
A triptych is artwork made up of three panels or pieces. Often the triptych tells a story, or sequence of events, or sets a theme. Other times a triptych has the main subject in the middle and the two side panels are decorated with filigree work. That style is known as Florentine, since it was developed in Florence, Italy, the great center of Renaissance art.The three windows over the altar is a triptych of the life of St. Margaret. The center window is Margaret as a Saint in glory, the left panel is the young Margaret as a shepherdess, the right panel is Margaret being tempted by the devil.
Now, this is where I need your help. I don’t know what the other triptych should be. So, I’m asking you. Is there a religious theme you would like to see or a scene from the life of Our Lady, or the Gospels, or our Lord’s life, or Saints that are not represented already in the Church? We have some time, since that triptych will not be ready by September. So put on your religious thinking caps and either email me at fr.raaser@smparish.com, call or write me your suggestions.
Other renovations news: The floor is being prepped this week for the new tile floor to be set next week. We uncovered walls with some gray paint, and what seemed to be rose color paint. We also uncovered the footprint of the original altar, and the walkway behind the old main altar. I saw the prototype of the new refinished pews with the new cushions. It’s going to be more comfortable to fall asleep during the homily! The original pews look brand new.
We are hoping to start the painting of the Church right after Labor Day.
See the website for new pictures.
We are still on schedule to be back in the Upper Church by the end of September.
