The Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, S.J.,’s chosen theme for his inaugural events took a unique form at the Oct. 1st Missioning Mass.
Imagery from the poem “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” graced the ceremony in vibrant colors draped over the altar in plain view of all who gathered to celebrate this historic moment in Creighton’s history.
For Hendrickson, this poem by Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J., provides readers with a heightened awareness of their own beauty and that of creation. He reflects on how the poem unifies all that God has brought into being and frames the recognition of that beauty as inspiration for the actualization of His work in the world.
Hendrickson comments that Hopkins “reminds us of our call to make the world a better place. This is what Jesuit higher education does: it begins in the gifts and talents of student-selves and it draws them out.”
Using this poem and these sentiments as inspiration, Creighton community member and artist Maureen Beat created the altar cloth specifically for the Missioning Mass.
Beat, an administrative assistant in Creighton’s EDGE office, was approached by representatives from Campus Ministry about creating the cloth back in August. Beat agreed and soon began honing in on which images from the poem she wanted to highlight most. For example, the image of the flame was central to her design.
“It depicts the Holy Spirit in everything,” Beat said. “I weaved the flame throughout all of the elements in the piece to unify it; keeping it fluid.”
Beat came up with three potential sketches for the cloth. Eventually, she and the committee in charge of planning the Missioning Mass settled on a design and the artist set to work; moving from a freehand sketch to a careful painting process meant to maintain the integrity and distinctiveness of the colors.
“My goal was for it to ‘pop’ and be seen from a distance,” Beat said, “And to give the congregation a visual and spiritual background to the theme of the Missioning Mass.”
“I was very pleased,” Beat said of the final product.
Those who gathered at St. John’s Church for the Missioning Mass shared Beat’s delight with the altar cloth; many saying that they were taken by its vibrant beauty and symbolism.
In a recent tweet, Hendrickson himself described the altar cloth with a single word: “stunning.”
The altar cloth will remain at Creighton to serve as a reminder that the call to use the many gifts and graces of this community in the spirit of service reaches far beyond the inaugural events.
Sacred fabric becomes a unique expression of the symbolism in the “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” poem. The Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, S.J., chose this poem by the Rev. Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J., as his Inaugural theme and artist Maureen Beat interpreted it tocreate this “stunning” centerpiece for the Missioning Mass.
The Creightonian