Earlier this fall, Bishop Patrick Neary called for artists of all ages to submit artwork to decorate his annual Christmas card. Multiple entries were received, and he opted for the image that graces the cover of the December issue of The Central Minnesota Catholic magazine.
The winning artist is Diane Jesh of Freeport.
“I’d taken a photo of Seven Dolors Church [in Albany] and loved the ambience of the skies and the way it lit up the church — it made a beautiful image,” Jesh said. “Because this was for the Christmas season, I added an outdoor crib scene.”
Jesh, who is a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi in St. Francis, painted the image in acrylics, a medium which she’s worked in for the last two years.
“For a long time I didn’t have time to paint. Since retirement, I paint every day, except in the summer. I couldn’t believe that my entry was selected — never in a million years would I have guessed that.”
In addition to Jesh’s submission, artwork was received from others around the diocese. A random sampling of the entries is shown here.
Winning entry:
Other entries:
Oh my God, literally! These cards, obviously designed by lovers of Christ are especially appreciated here – thanks for sharing! I am going to use them in prayer reflection ….