Our Lady of Sorrows Notre Dame University

This icon was commissioned by the University of Notre Dame for a chapel at the Mendoza School of Business. It was commissioned in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Business School. The dean of the school asked if I could write an icon of Our lady of Sorrows. I was given an approximate size, began to sketch, and like always I researched. I knew of Our Lady of Sorrows, and I had once been given a Seven Sorrows rosary, but that’s all I knew. I began to pray on what to do, and realized I should tell the story of the Seven Sorrows in the icon. Because the icon was to help celebrate the schools 100th Anniversary, I knew there would need to be a lot of gold! After the sketch was approved I began the icon, which happened to be the first week of lent. I worked first on the main image of Our lady, and then would move to the smaller seven icons within. While I worked, I listened to the Seven Sorrows rosary and to the Stations of the Cross. As I neared the end of the icon we had just entered Holy Week. That week I listened to Liam Neeson’s rendition of the Stations of the Cross (MY FAVORITE ). Listening to his words as I painted the blood onto the feet of the crucified Jesus, while his mother reached for his feet, I couldn't help but cry. I had put myself with Jesus’s mother, and felt her pain. There were just too many feelings to put into words. I can only say that this icon took me on a Lenten Journey I will never forget.  AMDG!