CHILDREN OF THE WORLD

You might remember that there was a medallion wall relief in a cabinet on the east wall of the church by the Main Street entrance.  The lighting wasn't great and it was kind of hard to see.  Here's the "before" picture:

This art piece was purchased as a memorial by friends of parishioner Tony Tomaso who passed away suddenly in 2001 (way too soon).  Tony was a great guy who was a Lake Geneva businessman and did so much for our community.  He and he wife Marge were always willing volunteers at St. Francis de Sales parish and school.  He loved to make people laugh and cherished his family above all.  

 

The wall relief medallion is entitled "Christ and the Children of the World" and was made by the Demetz Art Studio in Italy. The Demetz Art Studio is located in Ortisei, a small village nestled in the Dolomites, a famous mountain range in the Northern part of Italy, at the heart of the Alps. Today the Demetz Art Studio is one of the worldwide leading workshops that manufactures ecclesiastical art and continues the old tradition of woodcarving.  It is a family business that was founded in 1872 and passed on from generation to generation. During the last decades it has reached worldwide fame for its modern religious sculptures as well as its traditional art.  (On a side note, the "Our Lady of Guadalupe" wood carved statue that is on order for St. Francis de Sales is also being made by the Demetz Art Studio!)

The "Christ and the Children of the World" memorial has been moved to the west wall and has new lighting to highlight its beautiful features. We took this dimensional piece out of the cabinet so that it could be easily viewed.   We love how the colors coordinate with the new color palette of the church and how the subject is so perfect by our new baptismal font.  It is truly a fitting memorial to a wonderful man who loved his children and spread so much kindness in his life.