Painting for the Tree of Life Synagogue

After the horrible massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Bishop of Greensburg (where I grew up) commissioned me to do this painting of a lion and a lamb.  I included the stained glass window from the synagogue in the background.  The painting was a gift to the synagogue to show the diocese's solidarity with the Jewish community. 

As a Catholic artist, I was honored and humbled to create this painting.  Pope John Paul II called members of the Jewish faith "our beloved brothers in the faith of Abraham, our Patriarch."  Christians and Jews have a special bond, as "we draw our nourishment from the same spiritual roots" (Pope Benedict XVI).  I am praying for the Jewish community especially at this time.
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"The world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair." (JPII)  Art has a powerful way of aiding in healing and I hope my painting does that.  It is a symbol of peace, hope, and love against all odds.