Sheehan Quirke, also known as The Cultural Tutor, aptly states in his video How Did the World Get So Ugly: “If you want to understand any society, don’t listen to what it says about itself – look to what it creates.” And what do we create today? What would people understand from our churches based on their design and ornamentation or lack thereof?

The work of preservationists and craftsmen that we have explored this year would not be possible without the impetus of individuals desiring beauty. As Dante Aligheri says in his Purgatorio “Beauty awakens the soul to act” and beauty – whether preserved or implemented in a place that previously lacked it – is critical to leaving lasting impressions of our faith and values in history. This month, we discuss the individuals as critical to the team as the artists themselves: the clients.

Patrons or clients have varying motivations but, when it comes to art in a sacred space, that motivation always has an undercurrent of dedication to the unbroken thread of faith and culture. Throughout Christian history, religious artwork was intended to do at least one of three things:

Of course, today we live in a literate non-feudal society so these are slightly different. In the 19th century, aristocratic sponsorship of individual artists shifted into support of all arts for the betterment of the overall public. Places like the Boston Public Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and even lampposts in London were beautifully designed for the enjoyment of all members of society, even if their more subtle purposes served a few individuals.  

Today, the motivation to fund art and beauty is often deeply personal and springs from a desire to preserve or restore what is good, true, and beautiful in our society. However, the idea of beauty as a public good has been lost in many places. The question often posed at fundraisers is “wouldn’t this money be better used for charity?” It’s a perfectly logical question, but such a materialist view cannot deny the immaterial effects of beauty on our psyches.

To paraphrase Owen Jones, a good design possesses fitness and harmony, where nothing can be added or subtracted to make it better. It is, quite simply, at rest and thus the building is an unflappable place of repose for the soul. This, quite naturally, has profound effects on us – even if we only visit the place of beauty once a week. Subconsciously, we understand that there is more to our world than what we see every day. We begin to look forward to that day each week when we can rest in a place of beauty and experience the transcendent. For this reason, good design, when in the hands of the people who understand its role, stands the test of time and continues to grace communities around old cities and historic churches.

In an ever-busier world, places like these are priceless. Individuals that realize their worth or potential as spiritual homes aid that public good of beauty and set into motion an inspiring task of promulgating truth, goodness, and beauty in the built environment.

Beginning a project naturally brings challenges: how best to communicate your vision, how to fund it, who to ask for help, and what work you ought to do at all.

Ron Bouchard, the son of French Canadian immigrants to Waterbury, CT, is no stranger to these challenges. He grew up attending mass and school at the now Shrine of St. Anne and was even looked after by the nuns before school when his parents would drop him off to go work during the Second World War. This historic church, built in 1922, was the center of the French-Canadian community, then quite large and a significant population of brass workers in the early 20th century. The interior had been adorned to honor the mother of Mary, complete with soft pinks, silver leaf, murals, and intricate floral ornamentation. But in 1971 and 1978 fires scorched the interior and, to cover the soot, the community had only enough money to paint everything a plain grey. For decades, the original decoration sat under this grey shroud and such a monumental task of restoring the church was unthinkable.

For years, Ron looked at the grey interior, knowing what beauty lay beneath and wishing something could be done to restore it. He describes one particular moment where he sat at mass and suddenly thought “why not me? Why couldn’t I do it?” After this realization, he could no longer ignore the grey walls and set about fundraising and campaigning for the restoration of the church. After 19 years of work, hope, and a plethora of different fundraising ventures, the restoration efforts apse and transepts are now able to be replicated in the nave side aisles.

The beauty that is the result of a patron’s efforts directly translates to the space’s immaterial value in the future. As we have explored this year, it takes an incredible amount of people and thought to realize a complete, sacred interior that will last for centuries. Though not immediate, the work put in tells a story about the people who completed it and, if in the hands of those who care, will live on and continue to grace those who look upon it for however long it lasts.

Though Ron’s name may not be inscribed anywhere within St. Anne’s, the mark he leaves is the beauty that he encountered as a child that once again uplifts us in faith. With patrons like him and so many others, we may still be reminded every day that beauty is a gift. This is what we ought to leave behind: a trail of beauty that will last beyond any of us but stand as a testament of our faith and our delight in adoring Christ with all that we do.

People Still Do This: Illuminating Sacred Spaces

Light is a fundamental theme throughout Scripture and plays a key role throughout many faiths, be it in sunlight, heavenly light, or halos. It is most commonly associated with purity, knowledge, and the transcendent – as we see Mary crowned with the stars and the moon at her feet; Saul blinded on the road; Moses bearing witness to the burning bush; and the Star of Bethlehem guiding the Magi to Christ. Such a fundamental concept has demanded and continues to demand careful study and use throughout architectural and artistic history.

If you did not receive the November 2025 newsletter, check out the rest here!

When Canning conservators first arrived onsite to investigate the condition of the transept murals, we knew from a historic photograph, shown above, that the Nativity scene was contained within a landscape and framed into the decorative scheme with a quiet beauty  that appropriately compliments the earth-tone elegance of the church interior. Read More

To beautify a church is a noble thing, for churches are meant to edify the people through their architectural beauty and decoration. In order to properly accomplish such a feat, a qualified and experienced liturgical consultant can help and provide guidance along the way.

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