From the Desk of Fr. Thomas - April2026 Newsletter
- Pompeii Rising
- 8 hours ago
- 8 min read
Dear Friends of Our Lady of Pompeii,
I wish to invite you to our third annual celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Pompeii next Friday, May 8th. At five o’clock in the evening, about 200 of us will gather around the new church, pray the Supplica, which is prescribed for only two days out of the year, process around the church, and then walk two blocks to our favorite restaurant where the chef will treat us to a Friday-friendly feast fit for king (and Queen.) You won’t want to miss these updates and announcements. Our choir has even prepared an ensemble of Gregorian chant and polyphony that will give us a taste of things to come. You simply have to RSVP at PompeiiRising.org.
For this month’s newsletter, I’d like to feature an artist who is helping us beautify Our Lady of Pompeii. A little backstory - when I met with Fr. Mauriello last December, I learned firsthand a little more about the official replica he commissioned. This gave me the idea to touch it up and apply a varnish so the oil on canvas can look its best, and be protected for decades. I put in an inquiry with an online group called Catholic Artist Connections, and Mrs. Patrice Schelkun’s information came across my desk. Without further ado…
Fr. Thomas: Patrice, thank you for joining me today. Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?
Patrice Schelkun: Yes, first of all I view my primary vocation in life as wife and mother. My husband and I have four children and a total of six grandchildren, so far. Though my early career was in the sciences, the opportunity to leave that to become a stay-at-home mom was a blessing in so many ways. Not only did it give me a chance to help work toward creating a strong, unified family home, but it also allowed me space to explore my earlier interests in art and painting. My artistic journey has taken me through decorative & mural painting, stained glass window design & painting, to oil painting and portraiture.
FT: Oil painting is certainly lost art! Life has given you quite the journey. I understand you worked with Niko Chochelia, the icon writer and illustrator from the country Georgia. What can you tell us about your time and experience with him?
PS: Niko is a true master not only in painting but, as you said, in sacred iconography. He used a style of teaching that is typical of Old World classical art ateliers, focusing first on pencil drawing, copying from master drawings, then pen & ink, and later painting. Though he is a member of the Antiochian Orthodox church, he and I shared a strong faith and desire to devote our work to the Lord. Much of our conversations during class centered on God.
FT: Yes, I can imagine. And since you mention the Antiochians, we found out one of the priests who served the faithful at the church we are restoring actually fell under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Patriarch of Antioch. I’m sure some of Niko’s methods rubbed off on you. Do you approach sacred art differently from familial art?
PS: Certainly there is more prayer that surrounds my work in sacred art, perhaps more so than in secular works. But I honestly seek to reveal beauty in everything I do, and see myself as an instrument in His hands. I believe strongly that we can draw others to God through Beauty, which leads to Goodness, which leads to Truth, as so many theologians point out.
FT: The Transcendentals, of course. If people only could understand how much it glorifies God by simply uniting every good action, even the mundane, to God. Whether we’re artists creating a masterpiece or a janitor sweeping a floor, all things can be mighty when we invite the Lord to work through us. Well, now that people know why we chose you, what made you want to take on this task?
PS: Father, the opportunity to contribute to the beauty of a sacred space is the highest honor I aspire to. Certainly, it is a daunting task to think about working to improve someone else's work, especially working on a painting that has already received a bishop's blessing, but I felt up to the challenge of creating something exceptional for Our Lady of Pompeii.
FT: Yes, I know what you mean. At first, I was reluctant to ask for small improvements, but then I realized St. Bartolo did not hesitate to do this exact same thing 150 years ago. Were you aware of that? I see it as playing our small part in Our Lady’s story. Okay, so you have a digital copy of the original miraculous image from the papal shrine in Pompeii, what else did you do to prepare for our commission?
PS: Yes, I started out researching what I could about Our Lady of Pompeii and Bartolo Longo online. Then you gave me St. Bartolo's own book about the story of building the original church in Pompeii and all the miracles that surrounded that project. It's fascinating! I put everything I learned into each stroke.
FT: It will show! Can you tell our readers what changes to expect the next time they see our replicated image?
PS: My aim with Our Lady's painting is to bring it closer to the original work painted a century and a half ago and then restored for the Basilica in Pompeii. I've added subtle color where I thought it was needed, and I've added halos for St. Dominic and St. Catherine where they were missing. We also discussed embellishing both Jesus' and Our Lady's crowns with gold leaf and possibly Swarovski crystals to more appropriately honor her painting as a sacred icon. And when all is said and done, I will add varnish to the painting. Not only will this add depth to the colors of the painting but it will also provide a layer of UV protection and a barrier to the elements, making it easier to clean and restore in the future, if necessary.
FT: And you’re helping us frame the painting in a way that matches the new side altar. We can’t wait. Our copy of the miraculous image has been our anchor for two years. We know the extra care is not only appreciated by the Our Lord and his Blessed Mother, but will help those who pray before the icon for years to come. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
PS: Yes, your parishioner who delivered the paintings to my studio graciously gave me a copy of the 54-day Novena to Our Lady of Pompeii. A few weeks ago, I decided to commit to the extra time it takes for these petition and thanksgiving Rosaries (15 decades a day plus other prayers!) for specific graces toward members of my family. It has been a challenge, but one that has drawn me closer to Our Lady during this time.
FT: We all need to grow closer, now more than ever. Thank you very much, Patrice, where can people find you?
PS: I can be found on social media (though not consistently!) through @schelkunstudioarts and my website is www.patriceschelkun.com. I am happy to consider commissions for specific sacred images either for liturgical settings or private devotion. I also love painting children, couples, and families!
We have plenty of those! And I’m happy to share with you that Patrice is also helping us touch up a painting of St. Joseph, which has the same dimensions as the painting of Our Lady of Pompeii. This will serve nicely as the symmetrical complement adorning our side altars.
Left: Computer Assisted Design showing the contours of the new rafters. Right: The alleyway is now paved for ease of access.
In other news, tremendous progress has been made at the church. The alley has been paved and the Ridge Beam repairs are complete. Over the next few weeks, we will see the vaulted ceiling be rebuilt which will keep the church construction moving forward.
Keep saying your Memorares,
Fr. Thomas
The Feast of St. Catherine of Siena
This year, the Easter Paschal candle is dedicated to our patron, St. Michael, who has kept us under his protection these past four decades. Maria, the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, painted the Archangel so he can be with us in a special way for the remainder of our tenure at St. Michael the Archangel.
We had the honor of giving the Franciscan Minims a tour of Our Lady of Pompeii. It's not everyday you see sisters in hardhats!
This month’s mailbag comes to us from architect and parishioner Philip Rhea. Mr. Rhea has been helping us in his spare time on little projects here and there. Some of you have asked me about the process of matching the stone to the new addition. I don’t know all of the science behind it, but Philip does. I asked that he turn this mailbag into a blog to record all of the present for our benefactors all of the great footage he captured. The full story is told here: Stone from Scratch.
Hi Father, I wanted to share some videos and pictures from our field trip to the stone yard at Precast and Restoration Services, Inc. The kids really enjoyed seeing the process of creating stone from scratch.
As you know, Florida is very flat and not exactly known for natural rock quarries. When I first saw the church, I wondered where the builders got all of this limestone, how could they afford it, and is it still available to encase the new mechanical room? Well, 103 years ago, a Florida Times Union newspaper article confirmed my suspicion and memorialized the creative secret. Our predecessors made the bold decision to cover the entire church not in stone, but in a man-made composite of lime and concrete; new technology for the time.
There are three main take-aways from the article.
1.We are using a local product created by local talent.
2. The Arnold Stone saves money but gives the same sturdy appearance and benefits as lime
3. The method of production hasn't changed in over a century, and the results prove it.
First, a special cement mixture is made and poured into cast and molded into different shapes and sizes. After the block sets, they’re removed from the mold, inspected, and sorted. The stones are then chiseled by hand to reveal a natural look. Finally, they are shipped to the job site where they are placed one by one, creating intricate patterns.
To marry the old and the new stone in a seamless manner, a few existing pieces are removed, and new stone blocks are shuffled in. The skill, and care that went into this facade would make the laborers of 1924 proud. Few if any buildings in 2026 are using local material that lasts with this tried and true process that solidifies Our Lady of Pompeii as the jewel of Springfield. -Philip
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