Sacred Art

This hand-carved olive woodcarving from the Holy Land depicts the bible story:

The disciples went and woke him, saying "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"  He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"  Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves and it was completely calm.
Matthew 8:23-27

This hand-carved olive woodcarving from the Holy Land features Jesus washing the feet of one of the disciples on Holy Thursday.  

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feetd and dry them with the towel around his waist.  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.”  Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”  Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
John 13:5-9

In 1931, a Polish nun, Faustina Kowalska, received an apparition from Jesus. He requested her to “paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the words, 'Jesus, I trust in You. '” Faustina obediently carried out this request and the result was this image of Divine Mercy.

Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
(Generally, to be prayed during the Hour of Mercy, at 3pm daily)

Feast Day: Second Sunday of Easter

According to tradition, Mary appeared to Juan Diego, who was an Aztec convert to Christianity, on December 9 and again on December 12, 1531. During her first apparition she requested that a shrine to her be built on the spot where she appeared, Tepeyac Hill (today, located outside of Mexico City).

The bishop demanded a sign before he would approve construction of a church, however. Mary then appeared a second time to Juan Diego and ordered him to collect roses. In a second audience with the bishop, Juan Diego opened his cloak, letting dozens of roses fall to the floor and revealing the image of Mary imprinted on the inside of the cloak.  

Our Lady of Guadalupe holds a special place in the religious life of Mexico and is one of the most popular religious devotions. Her image has played an important role as a national symbol of Mexico.

Feast Day: December 12

St Juan Diego & Our Lady of Guadalupe (from the Pope St John Paul II Chapel)

This statue representing a guardian angel is located outside of the entrance of the Parish Hall.

Prayer to Your Guardian Angel
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Guardian Angels Feast Day: October 2

A bust of Pope St. John Paul II, located in the John Paul II Library.  John Paul II was the second-longest serving Pope in the Catholic Church, serving from 1978 to his death in 2005. 

He promoted greater understanding between nations and between religions, he undertook numerous trips abroad, traveling far greater distances than had all other popes combined, and he extended his influence beyond the church by campaigning against political oppression and criticizing the materialism.

Feast Day: October 22

In the 17th century, Jesus revealed to the saint His heart, burning with love for humanity through the apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in modern-day France.  Pierced and crucified, offering salvation and mercy, Jesus’ heart longs for us to offer our love and devotion in return. If some distorted forms of spirituality focused only on God’s punishment, the Sacred Heart emphasizes mercy.

The heart of Jesus Christ is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind" and the Sacred Heart beckons us to enter into the divine furnace of charity.

Feast Day: Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost

St Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles, Thomas, the twin, was the disciple who brought the Word of God to India, establishing the Syro Malabar Rite of the Catholic Church.  He was the only one of the Apostles to specifically refer to Jesus as "My Lord and My God" in Scripture. (John 20:28)

Feast Day: July 3

Saint Nicholas was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from modern-day Turkey.  He is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. His reputation evolved among the pious, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus.

Feast Day: December 6

Made from Connemara Marble in Ireland, Celtic Crosses are said to be a representation of knowledge, strength and compassion to manage life's ups and downs.  Rare and beautiful, Connemara marble is found exclusively along Ireland’s rugged wild Atlantic coast.  This Irish marble is as unique as the spectacular Irish landscape it forms with green of almost every hue in arresting layers and patterns.