Students and staff of Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School’s fine arts department gathered for an excursion celebrating St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Artists” Sept. 16. The retreat highlighted each field in the fine arts department and the importance, dignity and nobility of art.
The day began with prayer in the chapel led by Father Christopher F. Tipton, chaplain. Soon, the group was en route to Washington. The Franciscan Monastery was up first. After visiting the shrine’s replica of the Holy Sepulchre, students took a self-guided tour, encouraging contemplation of the monastery’s architecture and art. Through the sacred artwork, the beauty of Christ’s Incarnation and Passover was revealed, and their eyes were lifted to the things of God. Later, a Franciscan priest gave the group further insight into the historical richness of the monastery and St. Francis’s life.
From there, the group continued to the next site: The Catholic University of America. Here, the accomplished Donal “Dony” Mac Manus shared time in his own sculpture studio to give commentary on beauty and background on his art, highlighting how St. John Paul II influenced his work. The Theology of the Body guided Mac Manus’s outlook on anatomical analysis and drawings, which he established as a core concept in his art classes in Italy and now at Catholic U., especially through his projects in Michelangelo’s studio. The pontificate’s “Letter to Artists” also contributed to his attitude on beauty. He emphasized beauty’s divine source, a beauty found in all creation, and encouraged using art to express God’s will. He explained the role of the Incarnation in inspiring his work and connected it to the mission of artists, who can allow the Holy Spirit to flow through their art and reveal God in various ways.
Art students and teachers alike were greatly edified by the trip.
“I think art is such a vital aspect of people’s lives, but it’s usually thrown to the wayside, so I really appreciate having the day to celebrate it,” said junior Emma Coleman, a member of the school’s St. Cecilia Chorale. “It definitely encapsulated all the art fields in fine arts and showed the unity of the arts.” “I was pleased to hear that the clarity and passion with which Mac Manus articulated the artistic vocation to beauty inspired many of our students,” said William O’Connor, a drawing teacher in the fine arts department.
To acknowledge the school’s music program, especially the orchestra and St. Cecilia Chorale, the night closed at National Harbor for a U.S. Navy Band concert. The performance included the armed forces medley and upbeat “oldies,” demonstrating that in music people lift their voices to God. The excursion was lighthearted yet powerful in message.
