In order to communicate the message entrusted to us by Christ, the church needs arts. Art must make perceptible and as far as possible attractive, the world of the spirit, of the invisible, of God, it must therefore translate into meaningful terms that which is in itself ineffable. Art has a unique capacity to take one or another facet of the message and translate it into colors, shapes, and sounds that nourish the intuition of those who look or listen. It does so without emptying the message itself of its transcendent value and its aura of mystery. –St. Pope John Paul II, Letter to Artists
The Art & Environment committee at Holy Name of Jesus Parish is commissioned to inspire those who worship and to draw people into the liturgy. We don’t just decorate the church. We enhance the worship space with plants and floral arrangements, fabric and textures, as well as symbols that relate to the current liturgical season. Holy Name Church has a unique worship space which offers exceptional opportunities as well as challenges to our Art & Environment team. The sanctuary is open and inviting. The tabernacle is central along with the altar. Having the angels in the sanctuary area remind us that we worship in unison with God’s angels and saints during Mass. We are also fortunate to have separate spaces for the shrines to Our Lady and St. Joseph. All this is to say that we have many areas to enhance our worship experience.
The work of Art & Environment is done behind the scenes. Some presentations may take just a core group of us to create, but many times we need a large group of volunteers. This is especially true at Christmas and Easter. You can be sure that the community of Holy Name comes through with many volunteers and we greatly appreciate the help! We are currently seeking team members for our core group. If you would like to share your talents with us, please contact our Art & Environment Chair, Terri Yauger. at yaagootj@aol.com We’d love to have you!
The staff liason for this ministry is Cindy Varenkamp (219) 232-2781, email: cindyvarencamp@gmail.com