Sister Mary Margaret Ann Schlather, who helped run the seminar, describes their students as “very engaged in the weekly discussions - even almost passionate. The entire process is, says Royal, a humbling and an awesome responsibility.īesides conducting independent workshops, Royal teaches at Catholic Distance University, where she recently presented “History and Theology of the Icon.” Understanding that God is the true artist, icons are not signed by the iconographer.” He asks God to inspire and guide his hand. Prayer is key because, as Royal’s site explains, “The artist has to be a person transformed by prayer in order to perceive a universe that has been transfigured through Christ. The icon is a means of worshipping God and venerating his saints.” By bringing us in contact with these holy persons, we are invited to imitate them as we strive for transformation and sanctification. Icons are used to enhance the beauty of the church, to teach us about our faith and to remind us of this teaching. Icons are “painted in prayer, with prayer and for prayer.” The theology of the icon “is based on the Incarnation, the revelation of the image of God in the human form of Jesus Christ.” The iconographer’s work is to “participat in this creation,” by “theologically asserting the reality of Jesus’ humanity.”Īs she explains on her website,, “Icons (from the Greek: eikona) are sacred images representing the saints, Christ and the Virgin, as well as narrative scenes such as the Nativity or Christ’s Crucifixion. “Prayer” is a word Royal uses often for her work. that my hand, guided by the Lord, painted an image that beautifies the church and is used for prayer by the faithful.” Michael’s, I marvel at the fact that I painted the icon. “As time passes and I occasionally attend Mass at St. Now, Royal views the icon with detachment. The community supported her with prayers during the six-month labor of painting the Baptism of Christ. As an adult, she found her vocation to iconography after joining the Carmelite Secular Community in the 1990s. Royal - whose husband, Robert, is a writer who edits The Catholic Thing website - was drawn to iconography as a child in the Ukrainian Byzantine-rite Church. But the icon of the Baptism of Christ, hanging to the right of the altar behind the baptismal font, embodies the richness of the ancient iconographic tradition Royal has mastered. Michael’s sports an abstract colonnade and a small stained-glass dome of modern design. Michael’s Church in Annandale, Va.Īn octagonal building dedicated in 1960, St. Veronica Royal’s most challenging commission was a five-foot-high icon of the Baptism of Christ, which hangs in St.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |