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Sacred Art
The use of sacred art within a church building serves a variety of purposes: to serve as an educational tool in order to communicate some aspect of our Catholic faith, to define an area of the church building and the use of that particular space, and it can stir within the viewer a sense of wonder and awe. The goal of the designers and minds behind the sacred art placed within the church of Saint Pius X is all of the above, thus the building itself, the physical structure in which we find ourselves, has a story to tell and a lesson to teach.
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Triumphal Arch
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By far the most noticeable and impressive decoration in the church is the mural on the northern wall of the sanctuary. Central to the image is Our Lord, the Good Shepherd, holding in His arms the lost sheep.
From the left and the right, the remainder of the flock approaches the Savior, coming from the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the place of the beginning of Christ’s earthly life, and the place of the culmination of His divine Mission.
One either side of the main arch is a grouping of saints, each holding some significance to Saint Pius X Parish.
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Saints on the Left
- St. Gianna Molla (a patron of Right to Life groups)
- St. Angela Merici (the patron of our special education catechism program)
- St. Charles Lwanga (one of the Ugandan martyrs, who links us with the community at St. Joseph Parish in Kyengera, Uganda)
- St. John XXIII (who called the Second Vatican Council)
- St. Juan Diego and St. Adalbert of Prague (both of whom link us to our sister parish, Saint Adalbert, and the large Hispanic community there)
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Saints on the Right
- Blessed Basil Moreau (founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross)
- St. Mother Theodore Guerin (a fellow “Hoosier” saint who founded the Sisters of Providence)
- St. Kateri Tekakwitha (the first Native American saint, and a patron of the environment)
- St. John Paul II (beloved pastor of the Universal church)
- St. Theresa of Kolkata (renowned for her care for the sick and outcast)
- Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin (parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, and the first married couple to be canonized as saints together)
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On either side of the Good Shepherd are angels–messengers of the Lord. Included are Archangel Michael to the right and Archangel Gabriel to the left.
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The charcoal fire and boat in the scene to the left refer to the appearance of the risen Christ to the apostles in Galilee. This is the moment where Jesus heals the wounds of Peter’s sin and reinstates
him after his denial (John 21:1-25). It's a bookend to the fire and rooster in Jerusalem.
In the scene to the right, the charcoal fire and rooster reference the denial of Jesus by Peter as described in all four Gospels of the New Testament (e.g. Matthew 26:69-75) . Also depicted symbolically are human shepherds protecting the flock - freeing sheep caught in the thicket and keeping wolves from attacking the flock. This particular wolf symbolizes the lurking threat of Modernism, which Pius X condemned.
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Pictured on the bottom left appears Saint Peter, the first head of the Church, holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:12-20). Above the mosaic is his papal seal and the words Feed my sheep, recalling the command of the risen Christ to Peter (John 21:15-17).
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To the right is pictured Saint Pius X, our patron, one of the 265 successors to Saint Peter as Bishop of Rome, with his papal seal and his motto To Renew All Things in Christ.
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Evangelists
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Located in the crossing are symbols of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Gospel writers who tell the story of Jesus’ life in the New Testament.
Also significant are the images of four specific trees (hickory, cherry, elm, and fir) selected based upon trees that once populated Granger and are now street names in the community.
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Apostles in the Nave
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The saints along either side of the nave are of the apostles (in addition to John and Matthew symbolized in the crossing): Peter, Andrew, James Major, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James Minor, Jude, Simon, and Matthias.
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Deer in the Transepts
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The images of deer drinking water along the transept walls were inspired by Psalm 42:2: As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.
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Mosaics in the Nave
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Along the floor in the main aisle of the nave are custom-made mosaics symbolizing God’s covenants with the human race. From the main entrance to the altar are: Adam and Eve (the garden), Noah (the rainbow), Abraham (descendants as numerous as the stars in the skies and sands of the seashores), Moses (the law), David (I will establish a house for you), New Covenant (loaves and fishes echoing promises in Jeremiah 31).
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These covenants lead us to the final mosaic of the triumphant Lamb who was slain, found on the front of the altar.
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Inscription in the Apse
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“Today you will be with me in paradise”
This quote, seen above the Tabernacle, reminds us that the true joys of Paradise are communion with Christ (Luke 23:43), first spoken by Christ on the cross to the “Good Thief”.
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