Cris Thompson
One of the wonderful aspects of the Catholic religion is the appreciation of beauty as a means of being closer to God. This is emphasized in Catholic buildings by incorporating various forms of art into the architecture and design. On Feb. 10, 53 Catholic Community members welcomed artist Janine Stevens to talk about “Painting with the Holy Spirit: Experiencing God Through Art and Faith.”
Janine considers her art as “giving glory to God for the gift He has bestowed on me.” When it was announced that an Oratory (a separate building to be used for Eucharistic Adoration) was going to be built at Janine’s parish church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Keller, she felt a recurring “urge” to create a work of art for it. As much as she tried to ignore it, she finally gave in to God’s desire and approached Fr. James Flynn about creating a painting for the Oratory, a suggestion he gladly welcomed.
The Oratory was to be dedicated to St. Zachary, also known as Zechariah, the father of St. John the Baptist. After much prayer, Janine decided she would create three paintings that celebrated the participants in The Visitation of Blessed Mary to her cousin Elizabeth (Zechariah’s wife). Janine conducted thorough research to determine the best way to portray these holy figures. She studied Exodus in the Bible to accurately portray Zechariah’s attire as a high priest. She read The Mystical City of God to help her portray Blessed Mary and St. Elizabeth. She researched the type of plants that would have grown in the Garden of Eden. As Janine painted, she felt close to the Holy Spirit and Mary: “I opened my heart and hands and just let it flow.” After five months of intensive work, Janine finished the three oil paintings, which were installed in July, 2025: Zachariah (4’ x 3′); Mary Greets Elisabeth (4’ x 5′); The Archangel Gabriel (4’ x 3′). The Oratory is open seven days a week, with room for 30 people to pray before the Eucharist, seascc.weadorehim.com/en.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, March 10 (7 p.m.): RRCC monthly meeting in the clubhouse Heritage Room. Dennis Pettit will speak on “Revelation: A New Look.”
Tuesday, March 24: RRCC book group discussion, The Last Seven Words, by Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Wednesday, April 8 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.): Second annual RRCC Divine Mercy Retreat at Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House, $60 per person
Tuesday, April 14 (7 p.m.): RRCC monthly meeting in the clubhouse Heritage Room. Talk by Matt Gill
Wednesday, April 15 (1 p.m.): RRCC group Docent-led tour of the Kimball Art Museum’s special exhibit “The Holy Sepulchre: Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum, Jerusalem”
Saturday, May 2: RRCC Spring Social on the patio of the RR Wildhorse Grill
For further information on these and other upcoming events, please contact Joan Bridges at bridges84@msn.com.