On Tuesday, May 17 at 7 p.m., the beauty of Mary will be celebrated in song at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden, as four original paintings of her will be unveiled, blessed and placed for permanent residence at the Marian shrine in the Cathedral.
Brother Mickey O’Neill McGrath, an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales and an artist and illustrator, designed the paintings, which are 10 by 14 inches with Gothic wood frames, at his art studio near Sacred Heart Church in South Camden.
The four images of Mary — Puerto Rican, Filipino, Mexican, and Dominican — represent the diverse traditions of the faithful who worship at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Brother Mickey believes May 17 will be “a great way” to unify the communities of Holy Name Parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel/Fatima Parish, and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, which merged as the Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception last September.
Consistent with this belief, the wooden frames in the painting come from a pew in the former Holy Name Church in North Camden, and were put together by Chris Haw, a Sacred Heart parishioner.
“Mary is a unifying symbol for people,” said Brother Mickey.
For more information on Brother Mickey and his work, visit his website at www.beestill.org