By Katie Vasquez
Every piece of artwork at a limited-time exhibit at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church in Brooklyn has its own unique design, but the message across them is the same: hope.
The director of the faith formation program at the Bergen Beach church, Melissa Wagner, says it’s because all the art was inspired by the theme of the 2025 Jubilee, “Pilgrims of Hope.”
“We need to take them out of the classroom, out of the workbook, and to do things with them, to introduce their faith in other ways that are exciting and fun,” she tells Currents News.
The 250 children in the program created their own work based off their own interpretation of the Holy Year’s message.
“The love I have for Christianity and our faith and the stained glass made me think of church and being in Jesus’ home,” explains Justin Tasso, a member of the St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church faith formation program.
“Hope for people battling cancer,” is the vision behind group member Michael Thornton’s art. “I want to give them courage to beat it.”
The exhibit also included interactive displays like painting a mural with spray bottles and tissue paper to create stained glass and ribbons that share individual intentions.
“We had to choose a color and each color meant something different, I chose red for love, and I wrote, “I love my family and teachers,'” Francesca Marino, who is also part of the faith formation program, tells Currents News.
Ultimately, the church hopes that the art sparks discussion about the Jubilee and spreads the Holy Year’s mission of faith and fellowship.
“I think expressing that sense of hope, that sense of optimism but even beyond optimism,” Father John Maduri, the pastor of St Bernard of Clairvaux Church,” says. “That Christian hope that if we have that faith in God and faith in the Church, and faith in one another and faith in themselves, they can achieve great things.”
“It could really help somebody because people maybe really need a blessing, or something they’re struggling with or to find hope,” group member Christina Antoci adds.
This exhibit was only up for the day, but the church hopes to show the art again throughout the Holy Year.