Abundance of sacred art distinguishes Catholic churches

Pictured above: The statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor at her eponymous national shrine on State Street in New Orleans depicts Mary as the attentive mother, her feet in action. Pictured below: A mother pelican feeding her young graces the altar at St. Henry Church in New Orleans. (Clarion Herald file photos by Frank J. Methe and Beth Donze)

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

Our Kids’ Clarion series on sacred items found inside Catholic churches looks at stained-glas windows, statues, Stations of the Cross and other works of art that support catechesis and prayer.

Stained-glass windows

Think of your church’s stained-glass windows as “pages” in the storybook of human history – from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament, to the birth of Jesus, to the coronation of Mary in heaven.

Not only do church windows remind us of the shimmering, beautiful promise of our heavenly reward – and of those who paved the way – they are also eye-catching for practical reasons. Many Christians in the Middle Ages could not read, so sharing the stories of Christ’s life and other tenets of the faith had to be reinforced through pictures.

While illiteracy is far less common today, stained glass continues to be a powerful medium that uplifts and enriches our Catholic faith.
Colorful stained-glass windows are so connected with Catholic churches, many of them were removed during the Protestant Reformation (when the Christian family split into different religions) and were replaced with simpler glass.

We are fortunate in New Orleans to have so many magnificent examples of church windows. “Reading” them can offer hours of educational and spiritual enjoyment inside a church.

Next time you find yourself in the choir loft of an older church, check out the stained glass nearby. You might just see a depiction of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians and a martyr of the early church. St. Cecilia is usually shown wearing the martyr’s crown and holding a viola or a hand-held pipe organ (called a portative organ). The photo at left is of the choir-loft window at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in New Orleans, built in 1894.

Statues

Cities typically like to honor the heroes and heroines of civic life – those who have given of themselves to their fellow citizens in extraordinary ways – by erecting statues of them in prominent locations around town.

In the same way, we Catholics honor the heroes and heroines of our faith – Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the saints – by placing beautiful statues of them inside and outside our churches.

Just as a statue in a city square might inspire us to learn more about the life of that luminary and try to emulate him or her, so might church statuary.

Please remember that when we pray before a statue, our prayers are not addressed to the statue itself, but to the saint it represents. The statue helps us to envision the saint and be assured that we are never alone, for the saints are our friends!

The Blessed Mother is one saint who is depicted in numerous ways, depending on which aspect of her character the sculptor is attempting to convey.

For example, Mary under the title of “Our Lady of Prompt Succor” is always portrayed as a busy mother carrying Jesus. Notice how Our Lady of Prompt Succor is always shown in action – her feet visible and her robe ruffled by her forward motion – as though “promptly” interceding for us.

Conversely, statues entitled “The Pieta” (Pity) capture Mary in a state of profound stillness and sorrow, cradling the lifeless body of her son.

There are too many examples of “teaching statues” to list here, but answer these questions when you spot one of these saintly statues: To whom is St. John the Baptist pointing? Why is St. Lucy always shown holding a plate of eyes? Why is St. Francis of Assisi surrounded by animals?

Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross are carved or painted scenes set along the walls of Catholic  churches that invite people to pause and reflect upon the various moments in Jesus’ passion and death.

You may have prayed the Stations of the Cross several times during Lent. The stations portray 14 scenes from the last day of Jesus’ life – from his sentencing by Pontius Pilate to his being laid in the tomb.

In short, these artistic depictions, whether they are made of marble, wood, metal, canvas or some other material, help us to “walk” with Jesus, connect with his sufferings and anticipate his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The 15th station, erected in some churches, marks that awesome event!

Other works of art

Banners and paintings are other examples of sacred art that draw us closer to the Lord. The area in back of the main altar is commonly painted with saintly or biblical imagery.

The altar often is an artistic focal point of its own. Some older ones feature the image of a mother pelican feeding her young, giving her very blood to nourish her babies. This ancient symbol was adopted by Christians as an artistic expression of the sacrificial love of Jesus, which we receive through the gift of the Eucharist.