lHEANCHOR-Diocese ofFall River-Fri., October 8, 1999
9
OM~III Charlie's Oil Co., Inc. • Prompt 24 Hour Service • Automatic Deliveries • Call In Deliveries • Budget Terms Available • Free Estimates
You Never Had Service Until You Tried Charlie's We're located at ...
46 Oak Grove Ave., Fall River orca" ...
508-675-7426 • 674-0709
CATHOLIC ARTIST Gloria Thomas created a series of 21 paintings depicting Church history for the jUbilee year 2000. "Incarnation:' which shows the Annunciation, Christ's baptism, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, is the first in the series. (CNS photo courtesy New Hope Publications)
Artist salutes jubilee with painting tillleline By NANcy tiARTNAGEL CAlliOLIC NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON -Catholic artist Gloria Thomas began celebrating the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 nearly three years ago, when she started work on 21 large oil paintings that form a timeline of Church history. The 53-year-old Thomas, who became a Catholic 23 years ago, is a parishioner at SS. Peter and Paul Church in the Diocese of Lexington, Ky., her hometown. Before she conceived the project, she told Catholic News Service in a phone interview, she thought how remarkable it was "being one of the people- alive at this tremendous anniversary of2,000 years ofChristianity." She wondered how the Church and people generally would mark the jubilee, she said. "I felt that we had a tremendous opportunity to celebrate ourselves, to return thanks to God and also to bear witness to this tremendous gift of Christ that we have." Most of the paintings - each is a 2-foot by 4-foot canvas - currently are displayed in Christ Episcopal Cathedral in Lexington. The fIrst painting depicts the incarnation of Christ, with each succeeding work representing a century in Church history. The 18th- and 19th-century paintings were fInished but not yet framed, said Thomas, and she was still working on the 20th century. But she predicted the last three works would soon complete the timeline in the cathedral exhibition. Her research for the project was ''totally consuming," the artist said. For example, the fifth-century panel shows St. Augustine; barbarians invading Eu-
rope; Pope St. Leo the Great meeting Attila the Hun outside Rome; St. Patrick; and the conversion ofClovis, king of the Franks. Despite this limitation, she believes the paintings show "the whole sweep of the Church." "In an hour, either listening to the audiotape that goes with it or reading the captions under," she said, ''you could come away with a real sense of the depth and continuity of the Church, even though it nowhere near approaches the real scope." Though plans are not yet finalized, Thomas expects the paintings to make a circuit of Catholic and possibly other Christian churches during 2000. The St. Martin de Porres Lay Dominican Community in New Hope, Ky., a community of six families which runs a publishing house among its several ministries, is preparing an exhibit kit of the timeline for use by parishes, schools and other institutions including 21 full-color, quality poster reproductions of Thomas' paintings; a companion brochure; an audiotape of the artist guiding listeners through 2,000 years of Church history; and a book with additional commentary for each century written by historian Warren Carroll. Thomas feels the kits will make the paintings "accessible to the Catholic faithful, which is what I'm aiming at. ''I have committed myself to doing everything I can do to praise God for his Church in the year 2000," the artist explained. '~fter that, I've got to get back to trying to make a living."
\~ ~.
COMlN' SOON:
WORLD
~ d"~
MlSSIO~
&1JWDAY!
\l~"\~ ""'l::.~
_
"~.QG
IN
c.ome oar
SOltlt::SOPY'S suRE TO US ENVELOPES If
"ve,
.
_.
~..
W(;I(-
AND
.......0 : -
0
•
•
CARMEL TERRACE, INC.
Elegant assisted
l~ving
in a ,warm, homelike setting.
-Spacious Private Apartments - Personalized Services - Fine Dining - Health Club - Social Opportunities
Come see the difference! Please call for information and a tour. 508-788-8000 On the Campus of St. Patrick's Manor 933 Central St., Framingham, MA 01701 A Caring Mission of the Carmelite Sisters
Catfw{ic f£aucation Convention Bishop Connolly ~gh School, Fall River Saturday, October 23, 1999
/;~~ \ ,..
Convention Schedule 8:00-9:00 Exhibits, Coffee, Danish 9:00-9:45 Morning Prayer Welcome 10:00 - 11 :00 Keynote Address 11 :00 - 11 :20 Break/Exhibits 11:20-12:15 Workshop I 12:20-1:15 Lunch/Exhibits 1:20 - 2:15 Workshop II 2:20-3:15 Workshop III
...
(
.;,
.
.,
...
I
I
((god the ~ather: .9L People
....,..
Keynote Speaker \
Thomas Thibodeau Thomas Thibodeau is an assistant Professor of Theology at Viterbo CoUege in WlSconsirL In addition to his teaching, Tom is a pastoral minister, professional speaker, and parish .catechist who has enriched many with his rich humor, sensitivity and knowledge of OUI Catholic Faith. Thibodeau has been the recipient of many recognition awards throughout the country and was the presenter at a Diocesan Catholic Education Leadership Day last October.
of ~orgiveness
and Justice"
For Information Call Catholic Education Center at (508) 678'-2828 Coffee, Danish and Lunch catered by "THE ROASTED BEAN"
.....