An “altarpiece” is a work of art that decorates the space above and behind the altar. In some Catholic churches, the altarpiece is very ornate and includes a structure of carved wood and/or sculpted stone as well as painted images. In this case, four canvases bolted together create a “structure” which include decorative details very similar to those on the existing altar and Communion rail. Many characteristics of this work are VERY traditional, reminding us of our 2,000 year history as Roman Catholics. The three top canvases create a traditional “triptych”. The triangle which can be drawn from the heads of the three figures create a perfect symmetry reminiscent of the Trinity. The arches echo the elements of Roman architecture found in Mary Immaculate Church, and the figures are painted in a classical, Italian style. Most traditional of all is the chosen scene: the Crucifixion. The Blessed Mother stands to the left, and St. John the Evangelist is on the right. With each figure in a separate frame, it gives a sense of the solitude we often feel in times of great suffering, even though in reality we are never alone. The background portrays a stormy, eclipsed sky and cold, dark, stony ground as may have been viewed from the top of Mount Golgotha. In very stark contrast, the frames are ornately decorated in the liturgical colors of Easter: white and gold. We know that from the darkness and suffering, God will bring glory and light.

Mary is clothed in blue and white, the traditional colors of the Immaculate Conception, to honor the name of the parish. Shades of purple, the color of sorrow, can be seen in the shadows of her robe. Mary’s posture is meant to reflect her grief and suffering. With open arms, she wishes she could hold and comfort her Son. If you look closely, you will see evidence of her tears. Her blue robe flows in such a way that allows suggestions of a mother’s figure while also gathering in shadow over her womb... as if the fabric is being pulled in to emptiness or the sinking feeling we can get in the pit of our stomachs when we are overcome with emotion. Mary’s right hand appears larger because of the foreshortening... it is outstretched toward us, inviting us to step up into the scene while her left hand points us toward where she would have us go. Mary throughout time has invited us to come closer to her Son, and we as Catholics often do come closer to Christ through the Blessed Mother.

The figure of Jesus was borrowed from a beautiful 1632 painting by Diego Velazquez. Jesus has succumbed to death, and His vibrant life force flows from His wounds. Blood and water spill from His side where He was pierced, and indications of scourging can be seen on His shoulders and around from His back. He wears a crown of thorns, and dirt and blood on His knees remind us of His difficult road to Calvary. While in reality Jesus would have looked much more beaten and bloodied, the more traditional way to portray a crucified Christ tells the story of His passion without showing the horror of every potential wound. With Jesus’s head and hair falling foreward, it may take our eye down His body to the tabernacle below Him... a premonition of His continual gift of His body and blood in the Eucharist. It alludes to Psalm 22, “I am poured out like a libation...” as Christ’s spirit seems to pour from the cross into the tabernacle.

St. John, “the beloved disciple”, is shown in symbolic colors: red for love and green for youth. Red is also the color for martyrs, but St. John was the only one of the twelve apostles spared a violent death of persecution. Maybe that was his reward for being the only one of the twelve who stood at Jesus’s side while He died on the cross. The expression on St. John’s face is meant to portray amazement at the immensity of Jesus’s love for mankind, even for those (past, present and future) who would abandon Him, deny Him, spit at Him, berate Him and cause Him to bear unbearable pain. St. John’s hands are clutched over his heart with a desire and resolve to be a witness to Christ’s love.

The fourth character relatively unseen in this Crucifixion scene is God the Father, represented by the light that strikes each figure from the above front left, maybe most obviously on Jesus’s head. With an eclipsed sky, there would not be a strong lightsource, but the figures are well lit and all shadows fall away from the heavenly light. God the Father was present in His way, just as He is for the events of our lives, even if we do not see Him.

Many crucifixion scenes also portray Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea and others, but in an effort to keep the triptych simple and balanced, no others were included. The congregation or other viewers of the painting may represent the other faithful men and women present at the crucifixion, as this is a living story and living faith.

The bottom canvas helps form the structure of the altarpiece. The engraved marble slab is reminiscent of tombs in Catholic churches in Europe, and since Jesus’s body resides in the tabernacle, this seemed appropriate. The words from Isaiah 53:5 (“He was pierced for our transgressions... by His wounds we are healed.”) remind us of the sadness and joy inherent in Christ’s passion. They call us to humility, not only because of our sinfulness, but because of the extremity of Christ’s love, which we can never FULLY fathom in this lifetime. Being placed beside the tabernacle, the words also suggest the healing power of the Eucharist. Jesus continually gives us His body and blood to help strengthen us and unite us to the Trinity and to love, peace, wisdom, hope, faith, courage, and all things good. The structure of the altarpiece represents that our Catholic faith is built on these elements: Christ in His life, death and resurrection; the Word of God in Holy Scripture; and the Eucharist, our “source and summit”. The stone and pillars signify the strength while the carved wood and details represent the beauty of our Catholic faith, which is nearly 2,000 years old and will be without end.