My favorite sacred icon of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the 6th century encaustic icon of Christ Pantocrator (Christ The Almighty One) from St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula. This sacred image was a […]
Deacon Paul O. Iacono
I am an ordained Roman Catholic deacon from the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, USA. In 2009, my wife and I founded the Fra Angelico Institute for Sacred Art. In 2010 we received the blessing, and permission to proceed with implementation from his Excellency the Most Reverend Thomas J. Tobin D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Providence, RI, USA.
All faiths are welcome to my site and, hopefully, will discover some article or piece of sacred art that will catechize, challenge, comfort, and assist in their creativity, artistic curiosity, and faith in the Roman Catholic Church.
The current mission of the Fra Angelico Institute for Sacred Art is threefold:
* To catechize and evangelize the truth of the dogma, doctrines, and traditions of the Western Rites of the Catholic Church and to express how this applies to the Western and Eastern Rites' sacred art;
* To promote the prayerful creation of sacred art in the traditions of both the Western and Eastern Rites; and
*To support the union of the Christian artist's prayer life to their creative process.
Even though the Institute is directed toward the catechization and edification of Catholics, all faiths are welcome and free to comment on anything they read in my blog.
Please see the "About the Founders" page on the website for more information; you may subscribe to our blog at fraangelicoinstitute.com. Thanks and welcome!
Part Two: Icons, Icon Painters, and Praying With Sacred Icons
The sacred icon is a visual aid that helps the person enter into a conversation with God, an angel, or a saint. If a sacred icon is to be painted with this […]
A New Class of Iconographers Begin Their Studies: The Work of The Holy Spirit
On Wednesday evening, May 23rd, ten members of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts here in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island USA were commissioned and blessed to […]
Icons, Icon Painters, and Praying With Sacred Icons: Part One
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Stones that Sing – The Photography of Dennis Aubrey and PJ McKey
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ORO et CREO: PART THREE – A Personal Reflection
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ORO et CREO: I Pray – I Create – Part Two – A Wonderful Idea For Your Church
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ORO et CREO: “I Pray – I Create” – Part One
Soon after an article appeared in our Diocesan newspaper (The Rhode Island Catholic) in June 2011 on the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts, I spoke on the phone with a […]
Shaped By The Potter’s Hands
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Holy Saturday Meditation: Something Strange Is Happening
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Good Friday Meditations
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What Does The Silence Of Christ Say To Us?
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The Solemnity of the Annunciation – The Confident Sacrifice Of A Pure Heart
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The Artist As Contemplative – Part 4 – A Meditation on the Scourging of Christ
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The Feast of St. Joseph – Universal Patron of the Church
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The Artist As Contemplative – Part 3 – Prayer Tips
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The Artist As Contemplative: Part 2: A Simple Step Into Prayer By St. Teresa of Avila
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The Artist As Contemplative – Part 1: The Proper Approach
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Making Room In Your Heart for God, Prayer, and Creativity
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Perilous Times For People Of All Faiths
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St. Vincent of Saragossa – Martyr – And An Artistic Challenge!
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Whose Star Do We Follow?
St. Thomas, in his Summa Theologiae, has a wonderful meditation on today’s Solemnity of the Epiphany. He says that “Salvation was to be through Christ and apply to all sorts and conditions […]
Christ Child by Fra Angelico
To all the friends, followers, and members of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts, We wish you all a very Merry and Holy Christmas Season and a grace filled New […]
Five Days Before Christmas: A Unique Story About The Graciousness of God
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Sacred Photography – A Shot That Will Rock Your Soul
The following photograph haunts my mind. I found it on the blog (http://soulblindministry.com/2011/12/12/necessity/) of an artist who had a horrific life changing experience and has now turned his life, and possibly his art, […]
A Beautiful Pregnant Young Woman And Her Message To A Weary World
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The Joy Filled Christian – A Sermon on Survival in the Face of Tribulation
Today is Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “Rejoice!” The Church has us visualize this by the rose colored candle in the Advent wreath and the rose colored vestments. Gaudete Sunday appears at the […]
The Immaculate Conception – A Time To Reflect On The Meaning of Mary
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Stones and Sea Glass Can Tell A Story – The Art of Valerie Szlatenyi
One of the first St. Francis of Assisi parishioners to contact me to become a member of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts is a wonderful lady and artist by […]
Just A Minute Mr. Disney – Let’s Take A Look At The Art Of Peter D. Spaine!
Another South Kingstown, Rhode Island artist, a fine gentleman by the name of Peter D. Spaine, contacted me this past summer when he read about the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred […]
Shades of Monet – The Art of Eric Peter McLaughlin
The Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts, as a gathering place for sacred artists to create, share, learn, and pray together about their creation of sacred art, has blossomed into a […]
A Custodian of Beauty – The Talent of Artist Jamie Medeiros
After an article explaining the mission of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts appeared last June in our Diocesan newspaper, the Rhode Island Catholic, I received a call from a […]
The Lovely Work of Artist Trudy Manney
One of the Institute’s members, Trudy Manney, has been an important contributor to St. Francis of Assisi Parish here in Wakefield, RI for many years. She is a painter and she also […]
The Beautiful Lace Needlework of Esther Paris
Two weeks ago, at our Autumn Meeting of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts, some of the members displayed examples of their secular and sacred art. The mission of the […]
The Fra Angelico Institute’s Appearance on Catholictv.com
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Fra Angelico and Your Mission as a Sacred Artist
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Beauty Built on Gospel Values
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Our Lady of the Rosary
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St. Francis of Assisi, Simplicity, and Sacred Artists
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Sacred Artists Must Be Empty Vessels
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The Challenge of Sacred Iconography – Part 2: The Byzantine Empire – Justinian and the Church of Holy Wisdom
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The Triumph of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows by Jed Gibbons
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David Clayton, Needle Arts, Music, and the Creation of Beauty
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The Birth of Mary – The Pure Disciple Who Shows Us the Way
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Sacred Iconography and Personal Creativity – Do Not be Afraid!
What is iconography? The Sacred Iconography Guild is one of the twelve Sacred Arts Guilds that is sponsored by the Fra Angelico Institute. As of this post we have six members of […]
The Eternal Now and the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today is the memorial of the Coronation of our Blessed Mother. Sacred icons and images have expressed the Queenship and Coronation of the Holy Theotokos – the Mother of God – for […]
The Dormition – Assumption of Mary
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