You’ve felt the absence…

…of beauty in your Catholic Church, the space meant to speak of the Divine but some how misses the mark. White walls or worse yet, cheap and tacky décor and architecture that fails to proclaim what is actually taking place in the sacrifice of the mass. The beautiful sacred Catholic art in your church is missing.

Your Catholic community unites in truth, yes, and even shares goodness with all it offers in the Sacraments and outreach. But this sacred place of worship, where Mass is held, needs the third leg of the transcendentals: Beauty. Beauty is just as essential to the growth of one’s faith and the encounter of the Lord Himself. It reminds the soul it was made for Heaven. As you recognize this reality, you seek to restore sacred beauty in your own church. However, investing in sacred art for your church is a big decision and you may not feel like you know how to exactly begin. How do you decide what is best for your parish and what will be most fruitful?

6 Tips as a Sacred Art Painter to Help You

1. Begin in prayer.

It’s important to always let the Lord lead your decision, ask Christ to guide your heart and lead your search. As a sacred artist, I’ve learned the most important part is to first sit in adoration and listen to the Lord. For anything to be done well, the Holy Spirit needs to be the one moving. I truly believe He will inspire your heart to the right type of sacred art for your church, the right themes, and the right artist to do the job. All you have to do is ask.

2. Next, ask yourself: what does your community need?

From all the time you spend with your parishioners, what is it that they need to see most? Maybe it’s a reminder of the true presence in the Eucharist. Or maybe they would benefit from seeing what leads them to again hope in God’s Mercy. Perhaps it is to recall there is a heaven and hell. If you’re not quite sure about this answer yet, begin conversations with folks and write down common threads you notice.

3. Does your community have a patron saint or special devotion to Christ or Our Lady?

A saint or a special devotion portrayed visually can bear much fruit in your community. People can visualize and internalize that core charisma of your parish.

4. Explore location. Where will this work of sacred art for your church be displayed?

Is it best in front of the church or in the back as they begin to leave? The theme can help determine the best location, or sometimes it may be due simply to what space is available. Keep in mind, anything closer to the Altar should help the congregation enter deeper into the Eucharist in some way. For side art or something in the back of the church, you can have separate spaces to pray with different saints, devotions or the concept of the call to evangelization.

5. When these questions are answered well, you can narrow down what size is appropriate.

Knowing the theme and space will help you have a better sense of the scale needed to properly express the Sacred message.

While budget is important to consider here, it’s key to remember that God will provide. Try not to downplay the powerful message shared through beauty. If a theme requires many figures, a larger mural size may be preferable to show all of those meaningful details. If it’s one or two figures a midsize or smaller work may still be just as impactful. The main goal is for the size to help draw the viewer into prayer while fitting well in the space. Think about your vision for after the completion of work, like framing or the painting reveal.

6. Search well for the appropriate artist to create this work.