8 minute read
HISTORICAL PEOPLE
The artwork that lines the walls, windows and altars of our Catholic churches point the faithful to higher ideals. Throughout the decades, many notable artists in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have contributed their talents to this endeavor, leaving their marks of faith for generations to enjoy.
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• Born in Germany, Lamers showed artistic talent from a young age. He studied at the world-renowned Munich
Art School in the 1890s. • Lamers was a well-known artist in Germany and decorated more than 100 churches in Europe. At one point, he had 25 artists working with him. In America, he usually worked alone, although his son, Franz, would assist him at times. • He first traveled to America in 1925 to paint murals in St. Joseph Cathedral in Wheeling, WV. He was later commissioned to paint the Church of the Most Pure
Heart of Mary in Shelby, OH. This brought him fame in the Midwest. • When considering moving to America, he was told,
“You in Europe have history. We in the United States make history. Come and help us.” • Lamers received commissions for many churches and buildings in the archdiocese including: St. William,
Price Hill; All Saints, Kenwood; Annunciation, Clifton;
St. Louis, Owensville. His final project, at age 90, was the sisters’ chapel at St. William Church. • Lamers’ process included many stages. First he painted a sketch with great detail. For human figures, he photographed models and paint from the photographs.
To sketch on the wall or ceiling, he drew the image on paper to scale. He used a wheel with small spokes to trace the image’s lines, making tiny holes. He then placed the paper against the wall and patted the outlines with a pouch containing charcoal dust. From that outline, he painted the image. • Both a Cincinnati architect and practicing Catholic,
Schulte was a leading authority on church architecture.
He titled his autobiography The Lord Was My Client. • He received 300 commissions over 40 years, varying from new church structures and renovations to schools and convents. • Schulte’s style stretched from the American neo-Gothic revival of the early 20th Century to 1970s modernism, always focusing on the liturgy with a traditional grounding and eschatological symbolism. • He led the renovation of St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in the 1950s. He also worked on four other cathedrals in
Wisconsin, Kansas and Kentucky. • In the archdiocese, some examples of his work are:
St. Monica, Cincinnati; St. Cecilia, Cincinnati;
St. Bernard, Taylor’s Creek; St. Mary, Bethel;
St. Anthony, Dayton; Christ the King, Cincinnati. • He worked closely with other prominent artists from the area, such as Clement Barnhorn, an eminent Cincinnati sculptor and teacher, and Carl Zimmerman, painter, philosopher and student of fine art.
“The dedicated professional will continue to strive for beauty in the assurance that the present emphasis on technology will not ultimately destroy our search for beauty, and, possibly, our freedom as individuals.” – Edward Schulte
Life, Dignity & Charity
Combined Efforts & Volunteers Work to Support Full Spectrum of Life
BY EILEEN CONNELLY, OSU
Aware of their shared commitment to the ministries that put love into action and protect life and human dignity, several archdiocesan agencies and offices have joined their efforts. The new Department of Life, Human Dignity and Charity, includes Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio (CCSWO), Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley (CSSMV), the Catholic Social Action Office, the Office of Persons with Disabilities and the Office of Respect Life, all under the leadership of Tony Stieritz.
“Our purpose, at an institutional level, is to bring together all of the ministries that relate to living out the Gospel call to put love into the world, protect all life and human dignity and care for creation,” Stieritz said.
“At the core, all of our offices focus on the same principles, so it makes sense to be working together,” said Andrew Musgrave, director of the Catholic Social Action Office. “‘Charity’ gets at the front end of assessing the immediate needs of our work. It’s a very rich word with a lot of deep meaning and this is a chance for us to reclaim it and better understand it. Charity is love connected to mercy, and not just through direct service, but in solidarity, encounter, presence and in walking with people to help them have better lives.”
The experiences and ministries of Tara Dahal and Kathleen Kammer attest to the vital work carried out by theses offices and how they rely on one another.
TARA DAHAL Dahal, a refugee from Bhutan, fled to India as a teenager. Life had become unbearable, he explained, when the government instituted a policy of “One Nation One People” in 1988. It specifically targeted ethnic Nepalispeaking minority groups and banned the teaching of their language. The program also resulted in land confiscation, the burning of their homes and other human rights violations. He eventually reunited with his parents and siblings at a refugee camp in eastern Nepal, where the family spent the next two decades living in tight quarters with poor nutrition and limited opportunity. They eventually resettled to Denver in 2012, and later moved to Cincinnati to take advantage of the city’s lower cost of living.
Obtaining a position as a caseworker with CCSWO’s Refugee Resettlement Program in 2016 “was a turning point in my life,” Dahal said. “I never would have believed I’d have that type of job. I like helping people and know the pain of being a refugee, the separation from our families and never knowing if we’ll see each other again. I understood the needs of the people, and my work was for them.”
He also worked with the Catholic Social Action Office and met with congressional officials to advocate for higher refugee resettlement numbers.
“Tara told his story, about his time in the refugee camp, how Catholic Charities welcomed him and his family and got them settled in, and they made new lives for themselves,” said Musgrave. “It was a nice crossover between the charitable work and the advocacy work he’s done and represents the connection between service and justice.”
Dahal, the married father of two, became a U.S. citizen in 2017, and while he now works in elderly home health care, he continues to tell his story and advocate for other refugees and the contributions they make to local communities.
“We are 20,000 Bhutanese refugees in Cincinnati, and 90 percent of us are working, paying taxes, supporting our families and our community,” he said. “It’s a boost to the economy, but more than that, we are building community and learning from each other through the sharing of our stories, cultures and traditions.”
KATHLEEN KAMMER Kathleen Kammer attributes her longtime involvement in charitable and justice efforts to her Catholic education and upbringing. The Cincinnati native attended St. Catharine of Siena School, Mother of Mercy, Edgecliff College and eventually earned a master’s degree in pastoral ministry at the University of Dayton.
“I was one of six children and my mother always emphasized the importance of helping those in need, and that was reinforced in school,” she said.
As the Director of Religious Education at St. Luke in Beavercreek, Kammer was involved in establishing a program that brought children with disabilities into the regular classrooms. She also volunteers with St. Vincent de Paul and prison ministry. Kammer became wellacquainted with the work of CSSMV as a staff member at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Centerville when the faith community sponsored two Sudanese refugee families, helping them to secure housing and employment.
“We had 65 volunteers working with them, tutoring the children, shopping for the families. Over the years, as some of the Dayton faith communities discussed and addressed various social justice issues, they realized their efforts could be strengthened through collaboration. The result was the Weavers of Justice, of which Kammer is a founding member. Comprised of parishes, along with Catholic social service agencies, including CSSMV, and institutions, the Weavers work together on initiatives related to the death penalty/restorative justice and legislative advocacy/food sufficiency issues. The collaborative has also become well known for its annual Ethical Fair Trade Sale, held in conjunction with the Catholic Social Action Office.
“This kind of work just draws you into the humanity of the world, and I think that’s what Christ asks of us. He became one of us,” Kammer said. “We’re all part of His body, and it nourishes you to work on these issues. It’s difficult sometimes, but there’s also so much joy involved because you’re drawing close to Christ and others.”
Regarding the new Department of Life,
Human Dignity and Charity, Kammer said, “I love to see the combining of efforts. We can do so much more together!”
SERVING LOCAL FAMILIES. EMPOWERING LOCAL LIVES.
Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio serves local families in need through food pantries, personal protective equipment and care package distributions, emergency assistance, immigration services, senior companionship and much more.
We also empower families to achieve self-sufficiency through employment readiness and job placement, education, mental health counseling, caregiver support and family development services.
To learn more about these services and what Catholic Charities provides Southwestern Ohio, visit ccswoh.org.
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