A trio of new mosaics greets parishioners at Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac Falls. The artworks, installed last month over the front entrance, were commissioned by Father William P. Saunders, pastor. Liturgical designer Ronald Neill Dixon of Staunton created the compositions.
Father Saunders had envisioned a central figure of Christ Pantocrator, a traditional image in the Eastern Church, the word meaning “ruler of all,” flanked by Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph. Dixon designed and painted full-size, full-color patterns.
Those were sent to a workshop in Italy where mosaic craftsmen spent months fabricating the designs using tens of thousands of small glass and gold tiles. Shipped from Italy in sections, the mosaics, which measure 7′ x 4′ each, were installed by studio craftsmen directly onto the church facade, where they will welcome the faithful for generations to come.
