A statue of St. Teresa of Calcutta from her namesake parish in Limerick, Montgomery County is superimposed on a stained glass window from St. Alphonsus Church, Maple Glen, in this photo illustration by CatholicPhilly.com staff photographer Sarah Webb.
Stained glass, sculpture, even a simple holy card can draw us more deeply into God’s presence. Our partner, Catholic News Service, offers several reflections and catechesis on the power of images to enhance our prayer and worship.
Lectio divina: Discovering art as an aid to worship
In “lectio divina,” or spiritual reading, sacred images can serve as “visual texts” through which we can discern the divine in our hearts.
Pastor and painter: Finding faith in the stillness among the ruins
When an American pastor is posted to a parish in the former Soviet Union, his painting hobby becomes a vital tool in learning how to understand and minister to his new flock.
Designing a house of prayer: The art of the church architect
The sacred and the structural must work together to encourage participation in the liturgy, as demonstrated by the open style of St. John’s Abbey and University Church in Collegeville, Minnesota.
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I was a candidate then novice at St. John’s Abbey close to 20 years ago. While I found the outside of the church to be dramatic and interesting to look at, the inside left me rather cold with its starkness. In addition, their Stations of the Cross consisted of just cement blocks with only a Roman Numeral in each and their statue of St. John the Baptist looks like something a kindergartener fashioned (akin to that ugly “eagle” that “adorns” the outside of Society Hill Towers)!