ST. JOHN – A vision that was decades in the making continues to be built one stone and one artwork at a time on the foundations placed in 2001 for The Shrine of Christ’s Passion. New life-size bronze sculptures recently delivered will help tell another story of faith and family life.
On March 13, Colorado-based sculptor Austin Weischel watched as workmen from Schillings Home Improvement Center unloaded four bronze sculptures from a rented vehicle he used to transport the original art from his studio across the country.
Weischel’s works are being anchored to a new feature within the shrine complex and Our Lady of Guadalupe Plaza recently named the “Family Plaza” by the pilgrimage site’s founder and chief benefactor, local businessman Frank Schilling.
“The children will love this,” Schilling said. “We want people to realize that parents should teach their children as Joseph taught the child Jesus. So, we want to bring the family back 2,000 years – showing the perfect family.”
Three of the four life-size sculptures are located in a section of the shrine dedicated to the Holy Family, which includes joyful family images already installed. The latest additions show the father-son relationship between Jesus and St. Joseph.
The foster father is portrayed ready to hammer a large nail into a board, while placed nearby, the rare representation of Jesus as a toddler shows a boy imitating his dad, using his small hands to prop up a nail.
On the cold morning of the sculpture’s arrival, Schilling and The Shrine’s general manager Paul Anderson supervised crews moving the playful “Joseph & Jesus in Carpenter Shop,” setting the components in the property’s northeast corner near two creations made by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz – “Joy of the Family” and “Footprints in the Sand.”
The three-dimensional work of art that depicts Jesus beckoning a believer to have a seat next to him and receive his warm embrace is called “Jesus with Children,” and matches the spirit of the entire shrine enterprise that has been supported by the Schilling family.
“My wife Shirley (Schilling) and I did it for one reason only, and that is to change the world,” Frank Schilling said. “This world is in a crisis because they are leaving the faith.”
He continued, “We built Mount Sinai with Moses because they took the Ten Commandments out of the justice system and schools … how are these children who are going to be parents (do so) without that moral compass?”
Standing in the shadow of the 33-foot-tall Our Lady of the New Millennium sculpture on shrine property, Weischel said he is impressed by the beneficence of Schilling and appreciates the opportunity to create art that he has “customized to make perfect to (Schilling’s) vision.”
Thirty-three-year old Weischel said the art commissioned by Schilling took a year to complete, including surmounting supply-chain delays.
“I started (working with sculpture) when I was 14, just picking up a piece of clay and started sculpting with a fork and a knife,” said Weischel, who stood in awe of the extensive religious site grounds on what was his first visit. “I always liked art because I’m dyslexic; I never liked school.
Weischel continued, “It’s amazing that all these people and Frank (Schilling) were able to design this for all the visitors. It’s a mile-long path, with stores and shops that are all meaningful; there’s a place for everything.”
The Holy Family creation will join art from a growing roster of artists, sculptors, and construction and landscape crews who have embellished the former farmland to include the interactive Way of the Cross, the Moses and Mount Sinai trail and the expanding Our Lady of Guadalupe and Family plazas.
Texas artist Mickey Wells designed 40 monochromatic bronze sculptures for the half-mile prayer trail. Weischel’s sculptures include color on parts of the metal such as clothing. The shrine’s art is complementary, but the newest statues incorporate a different finishing technique to arrive at the final product.
“These are all really high-quality bronze,” Weischel said as he detailed the metal coloring process. “When you color it … after the piece has been welded, you sandblast it. Then, you put sulfur on it … it shows a flash turning clear, then black, then green. You rinse that off with water to stop the chemical reaction and then you rub it down. After that, you heat up bits of quartz with acrylic colors. It adheres to the metal better than paint.”
Robert J. McClory, Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, Father Sammie Maletta, pastor of the adjacent St. John the Evangelist, and Relevant Radio’s Father Francis “Rocky” Hoffman each recorded a narration for the new statues, which can be heard when a visitor presses a button.
A place of pilgrimage that started with a mid-century Marian shrine at U.S. 41 featuring the 12-feet tall Our Lady of the Highway near the Frank Wachter homestead has grown into a bustling religious attraction spread over much of the 30-acre plot of land.
Anderson and Schilling welcome increased foot traffic around the shrine, expecting well over 200,000 visitors this year. To ameliorate the parking snafus that sometimes develop, especially around Holy Week and dedication events, Schilling promises triple the parking space utilizing recent nearby property acquisitions and donations.
“We want to get the word out,” said Anderson. “If more people come to the shrine, it will support itself … and help change the world.”
For more information about the features and hours of The Shrine of Christ’s Passion, call 219-365-6010 or visit shrineofchristspassion.org.