To further beautify our worship space within the church, we plan to install three pieces of sacred art above the baptistery, on the wooden partition of the choir loft. The works selected are high-quality reproductions of frescoes painted by late medieval Italian painter Giotto di Bondone. Giotto was one of the first medieval artists to depict his subjects in a more realistic, natural style, breaking away from the earlier tradition of more stylized figures. His masterwork is the cycle of frescos commissioned for the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, completed in 1305. These depict scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary and are considered a high point of Early Renaissance art. It is from this series of frescos that the three pieces for our baptistery have been selected.
These three images depict the Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, and the miracle at the Wedding of Cana. These three scenes from the life of Christ comprise a traditional Epiphany triptych. We associate “Epiphany” today primarily with the Adoration of the Magi, but the broader meaning of the word means “manifestation.” In the history of the Church the Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the Miracle at Cana have been viewed collectively as manifestations of Christ’s divinity and celebrated under the title of the Epiphany. It is not uncommon, therefore, to see these three scenes depicted together in sacred artwork.
In our display, the Baptism of the Lord is central, being aligned with the baptismal font, to remind us that all those baptized in the sacred waters of this font are baptized into the Lord, to share in his Passion and Resurrection. To the left, the Adoration of the Magi is a reminder for us to give our homage to Christ who is the Lord of all, no matter our ethnicity or nationality. And on the right, the scene from the Wedding at Cana brings to our mind the words of instruction spoken by our Blessed Mother to the servants, which we have emblazoned on our baptistery wall: “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).
It is our hope that these works of sacred art will aid in our prayer and devotion, and inspire us to give fitting service to the Lord in all aspects of our lives. Thank you to all whose generous donations will make this possible.
To fund this project without impacting our parish budget, we need to raise $1650 ($550 per piece). If you would like to contribute any amount toward this goal, we invite you to use our online giving platform. Please select “Liturgy and Worship” in the pull-down Fund menu, and then “Art” in the submenu that will appear. Thank you!
