Month: June 2026

By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger

DAVENPORT — Christ the King Chapel on the St. Ambrose University campus features several examples of Father Edward Catich’s artwork, including an icon painting and hand-carved slates.

Earlier this year, Paul Herrera, a protégé of Father Catich, spoke on two of the late priest’s more controversial works — the icon called “Theophora” and a series of unconventional holy cards.

Amy Nielsen, president of the Art Legacy League, assisted with the visual part of the presentation. The league, to which both belong, promotes and teaches about the works of Father Catich through classes and displays at a studio in Davenport.

Both Herrera and Nielsen were students of Father Catich and regard him as their mentor. Following the death of Father Catich in 1979, both taught classes at then-St. Ambrose College.

Background of Catich

During the talk that was part of the “From A(mbrose) to (Gen.) Z” conference, Herrera said Catich was born in Montana and orphaned at age 12. He and three of his siblings went to the Mooseheart orphanage near Aurora, Illinois. While there, Catich learned the art of sign painting and worked in the Chicago area following high school. He also played in a band.

Following studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, he went to St. Ambrose College in Davenport for music. A talented jazz musician by that time, Catich negotiated an arrangement with the college through which he received aid covering the cost of his undergraduate tuition, room and board in exchange for leading the school’s band. He completed his studies in three years. Then he earned his master’s degree from the University of Iowa. Catich was recognized for his exceptional ability in art and music, but the greatest desire in his heart was to become a priest. After graduate school, he studied for the priesthood for the Diocese of Davenport in Rome.

Ordained to the priesthood in Rome in November 1938, Father Catich returned to St. Ambrose in 1939. There he founded and taught in the art department until his death on Good Friday, 1979.

Theophora

This icon by Father Catich was ahead of its time, Herrera noted. Theophora depicts a bi-racial holy family. Mary, with fair skin, holds a Black infant Jesus. The work was submitted for a competition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1950. Although it did not move on from judging in Chicago, the artwork returned to the St. Ambrose campus.

Herrera pointed out this artwork was done prior to the Civil Rights Movement, so some saw it as controversial.

Herrera described the symbolism in the icon. He made clear that Father Catich did not leave notes containing explanations, so his commentary was based on his and other students’ interpretation of the piece. “I knew some of his motives,” Herrera said of Father Catich.

Behind Mary and the infant Jesus is 24 karat, leaf gold. Father Catich often used leaf gold in his slates. The gold represents the good in the world, according to Herrera.

The 12 stars in Mary’s halo represent the 12 disciples, Herrera said. The Black infant Jesus is holding a white mask — possibly representing the various races with which he could identify.

On Mary’s sleeve is a red star, similar to the Jewish star. Herrera believes this star symbolizes the future sacrifice she will bear for her only son. Jesus’ garment is also red, showing his sacrifice to come. The infant holds a green apple.

On the outer part of the work, blue areas represent the evil in the world. In the upper, left of the painting are the Greek names for Lenin and Stalin. The mousetrap depicts Christ being trapped/tempted by the devil. The pitcher of water is holy water, but “Is it half empty or half full?” Herrera asked.

In the upper right section of the icon is broken glass in a window depicting Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) in November 1938, during which there was state-sponsored violence against the Jewish people in Nazi Germany. A ribbon and demons also are depicted.

The lower left part of the icon shows a serpent, meant to symbolize Satan and Christian persecution. In the lower right, there is a ribbon with part of the verse from John 10:16 written in German, Slovak and English.

It is rumored that there was a letter sent to Bishop Ralph Hayes at the time about this work. But Herrera said he has not seen a copy.

Holy cards

An ongoing controversy brewed for a while between the Vatican, Diocese of Davenport, Father Catich and The Catholic Messenger.

The Vatican felt the holy cards that Father Catich not only designed, but printed on his Catfish Press, were objectionable and should be withdrawn them from circulation.

Some examples portrayed Jesus, Mary and Joseph in contemporary attire. Joseph is wearing bib overalls, holding a saw and also holding a young Jesus who is wearing a T-shirt and shorts, while carrying a toy sailboat.  Another card depicts Mary with Asian facial features.

After Bishop Hayes relayed the disappointment by the Vatican to Father Catich, he told the priest to stop making the cards. The priest then went to The Catholic Messenger, which printed his holy card art in the paper. Later, a second letter from the Vatican arrived.

There are still holy cards available that were printed by Father Catich himself, Herrera noted.

Stations of the Cross

Father Catich created a modernized version of the Stations of the Cross as part of his work, Herrera said. The late priest put people in modern dress, such as jeans and T-shirts, into the station scenes.

“He made them 20th century modern man. He depicted everyday life,” said Herrera. One station shows the “paparazzi” taking “pictures” with a camera.

Herrera noted that several faces in Father Catich’s Station of the Cross are of people he knew. Other symbolism was put into some of the stations. He noted Father Catich and one of his professors at the University of Iowa did not get along. The 10th station in Christ the King Chapel, where Jesus is stripped of his garments, shows a pile of books on the ground in the slate. The top book has an “I” on it for the University of Iowa, which is probably an allusion to the professor, according to Herrera.

As far as Herrera knows, no citations or warnings were given from the Vatican to Father Catich for his Stations of the Cross.

Regarding some of Father Catich’s work, “Rome did not think these (holy cards) were appropriate,” Herrera said. “But Father was a forward thinker,” he said.

By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger

GRINNELL — Earlier this month, St. Mary Parish in Grinnell hosted a Corpus Christi Mass, procession and consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus with Bishop Dennis Walsh presiding. The presence of a “Vocations Monstrance,” blessed by St. John Paul II just days before his death, made the event even more memorable.

The former pope blessed one “Vocations Monstrance” for each of the six major continents at the start of the Year of the Eucharist in 2004, designating each for Eucharistic adoration for vocations. The monstrance traveled to 45 dioceses in the U.S. and Canada between 2005-06 and is now available to travel to parishes, upon request, under the supervision of Serra International’s USA council.

Father Dominic Nguyen, pastor of St. Mary Parish-Grinnell and St. Patrick Parish-Brooklyn, said he first heard of the monstrance last year while serving at parishes in the Burlington area.

Eager to bring the monstrance to the diocese for the first time in recent memory — possibly ever —  Father Nguyen contacted Serra’s U.S. council headquarters in Chicago. He learned it would be available on June 7, 2026 — the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ — and reserved it with the intention of hosting a Eucharistic procession. He assumed it would take place in Burlington, but plans changed after he was assigned pastor of the Grinnell and Brooklyn parishes last July.

Father Nguyen saw an opportunity to tie in another significant event with the procession — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Inde­pendence. The USSCB has encouraged parishes around the country to join the bishops in consecrating the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The priest invited Bishop Walsh to lead the procession and consecration. He happened to be available, and offered to preside at Masses in Brooklyn and Grinnell that morning, as well. Father Nguyen prepared the parish for the big day by leading a Corpus Christi novena online. “We also had the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition at our church for two weeks leading up to Corpus Christi, and I gave brief presentations on Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist after our daily Masses during those two weeks,” he said.

Bringing the monstrance to Iowa

The monstrance is typically used for holy hours for vocations, but can be reserved for other prayerful celebrations, as well, said Bill McAfoos, a member of the St. Serra Club of  Davenport. “These monstrances are available to different pastors for different reasons,” he explained. “There’s not a really hard and fast rule.”

Local Serrans are responsible for ensuring the monstrance arrives safely at each destination, McAfoos said. The monstrance, enclosed in its protective hard case, is heavily padded and placed in a secure package for FedEx or UPS to deliver. Serra International pays the cost of the shipping and $10,000 insurance coverage.

A Serran from Nebraska shipped the monstrance to McAfoos in late May. He handed it to Father Nguyen June 6 while the priest was in Davenport for Father Alfonso Pizano’s ordination Mass. It was McAfoos’s first time serving as a “hand-off” person, and possibly the monstrance’s first trip to the Davenport Diocese. The Catholic Messenger archives have no record of it coming to southeast Iowa.

The big day

Bishop Walsh spoke about the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ during his homily in Grinnell on June 7, sharing a “legendary story from the art world” about a stained glass window that reveals its true beauty when the sun shines through it. “Today … we celebrate that we, too, are designed to be illuminated from within,” he said. “Left to ourselves, we can become cold, dull and darkened by the struggles of the world. But today, Jesus offers us his very self so that his divine light can shine through us.” After Mass, the bishop placed the Eucharist in the monstrance for exposition and led the congregation in the Diocesan Prayer for Vocations.

There were concerns that wet weather might cast a shadow on the much-anticipated procession that was to follow. “The weather forecast was not great at all for that weekend,” Father Nguyen said. “Before the big day, (we asked) God for favorable weather, safety, and especially a spiritual encounter with Jesus for all who would join us for the day.”

Waking up to rain “was such a disappointment given all of the hard work, mostly by Father Dominic, that went into planning the procession,” said parishioner Sharon Mealey. “I should have had more faith that our prayers would be answered, as the rain stopped by the end of Mass so we could proceed as planned.”

Bishop Walsh covered his hands with the ends of a liturgical shawl called a humeral veil and picked up the Vocations Monstrance. He led the faithful outdoors for a prayerful, song-filled procession around the block. The walk concluded at the church steps, where Bishop Walsh offered the prayer of consecration.

The event concluded with lunch in the parish hall, served by about 20-30 volunteers from the Grinnell and Brooklyn parishes. The camaraderie throughout the event was touching, Mealey said. “Seeing so many volunteers that agreed to take on roles, from the first communicants and servers to the Mary statue, canopy, and banner carriers warmed my heart.”

McAfoos, who was unable to attend the event in Grinnell, drove to town the next morning to overnight ship the monstrance to Dallas. The deadline was tight, but McAfoos received word from Serrans in Texas that the monstrance arrived safely and on time.

Father Nguyen said, “I truly believe that everything went so well because of God’s providence and favors for our parish, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, our patroness.”

Reserving the monstrance

The monstrance’s schedule usually books up several months in advance, depending on what date is requested, McAfoos said. “It’s really a beautiful monstrance,” he said, adding that he hopes its continued travels “help keep momentum going for, hopefully, new vocations around the country, which is our goal.”

To learn more about the monstrance or to ask about available dates, contact McAfoos at bill.mcafoos9@gmail.com or  563-940-2566.