By now every parish has had their paschal candle burning brightly at Mass, and will continue to do so throughout the Easter season. It is very likely that the majority of these candles have been ordered from a liturgical supply company that offers a variety of mass produced candle designs, many of them quite beautiful.
But by doing this, parishes are missing out on an opportunity to patronize and encourage the artists in their midst. Many parishes and dioceses throughout the world are using paschal candles that have been painted by a local artist. Some of these are commissioned by the church and some are donated by the artist. This is a practice that seems to be growing and should be very much encouraged.
One of the biggest hurdles in encouraging artists to use their gifts to glorify God is the lack of patronage. The Church is no longer the patron of the arts that it used to be and liturgical art projects are few and far between. But by working with a local artist to paint a paschal candle, every parish has an opportunity to encourage artists in the proper use of their gifts.
I would encourage pastors to hold their artists to a very high standard, not only because the work is to ultimately glorify God but also to push artists to develop their talents to the highest degree possible. Accept proposals, review the work of the artists who express their interest in the project, and choose an artist you can work with, one who will take direction and be guided by the artistic traditions of the Church.
All too often when we decorate our churches we think either of the budget, and go the catalog route, or we look outside the church for nationally known professional studios. But do we even consider looking to the people of our own parish or diocese? This does not mean we have to accept sub-standard art, but it does mean we have to expend a little more effort to find the craftsmen and craftswomen that may be sitting next to us at Mass.
