Coronavirus

Only in Print: The Art of Commemorating Lost Loved Ones

November 5, 2020
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Artist Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada painted a 27,500-square-foot mural of Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo, who worked on the frontlines and died from COVID-19, in the parking lot near the Queens Museum. (Photo: Greenpoint Innovations)

WINDSOR TERRACE — Commemoration is a long-standing tradition, both inside and outside the church, through a myriad of expressions. In the church, it’s common to see paintings and statues of saints who are important to a parish’s community.

“That’s to recognize Christ in them,” said Emily Sottile, director of EverGreene Architectural Arts’ Sacred Studio Space in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. “But, we also have the tradition of doing things ‘in memory of.’ You won’t see a painting of someone’s mother in a church, but you will likely see stained glass windows dedicated to that person, through a plaque …”

The rest of this article can be found exclusively in the Nov. 7  printed version of The Tablet. You can buy it at church for $1, or you can receive future editions of the paper in your mailbox at a discounted rate by subscribing here. Thank you for supporting Catholic journalism.