Texas bishops' gift to Archbishop Gomez
Sister Mary proposed an idea to Jennifer Allmon, Associate Director of the Texas Catholic Conference. Once the idea was approved by each bishop from the 15 Texas dioceses, Sister Mary painted a watercolor landscape incorporating various aspects of Texas including bluebonnets, post oaks, sage brush, mountains and desert flora. Jennifer had also requested that the painting include a Spanish Church. The watercolor was then scanned to become a part of the final giclee print. This print included a border which Sister Mary created in Adobe Illustrator comprised of the seals of each of the 13 Texas dioceses and the two archdioceses. Archbishop Gomez’s personal Coat Of Arms, used while in San Antonio was placed in the Center of the border. The Texas State Seal was added along with an inscription: Presented to Archbishop José Gomez from the Bishops of Texas in Gratitude for Your Leadership and Service in Texas, May, 2010. Finally the print was framed and trucked to Los Angeles via a company which specializes in shipping art. |
HOUSTON (05-28-2010) – Recently Sister Mary Connors, FSE, received a commission from the Texas Catholic Conference to create an art piece to be given to Archbishop José Gomez as he left San Antonio to assume his new appointment by Pope Benedict XVI as the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The challenge was to create something which would remind Archbishop Gomez of his time in Texas and reflect the diversity of the vast state.