We’ve all heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The adage means that it can be easier to show something in a picture than to describe it with words.
When Federico “Freddie” Pintor heard that statement and how stained glass tells a story during a pre-Lenten homily at St. Michael in Schererville, he took it to heart. The 40-year-old self-proclaimed artist and long-time barber was inspired to create his own artwork story.
The plan did not come to him all at once, but in pieces – involving God moments that eventually made the idea of the endeavor comprehensible. He first talked with his grandmother who prayed for him at daily Mass. He then spoke with his mom and clients and read Romans 12:6-8 about using his gifts in accordance with the grace given him. He also knew he wanted to do something with the dozens of untouched canvases in his basement.
Those things, plus a nagging question about his life’s purpose after reading “The Man in the Mirror” last summer, prompted Pintor to take his dog Teddi on a 40-day journey to visit churches each Sunday during Lent and obtain markings and signatures from priests on a 3-foot by 4-foot canvas to create a design mimicking stained glass by using acrylic and oil paints.
Currently, the canvas is “washed” with light purple paint and Pintor sees a profile of Jesus, a crown and a sun that will be the foundation of the painting. “The moment I touched the canvas at the end of the trip…it was a moment of pure inspiration, and I knew without a doubt that God was with me,” he said. "He revealed himself through my art, and it was an unforgettable experience.”
The trip had highs and lows. “I am a barber; I make my living by working. When I am not cutting, I’m not making money,” said Pintor, owner of Big League Barbershop in Hammond.
Pintor visited 10 churches during Lent and was blessed by God along the way. He felt that his presence blessed others, too.
While in San Antonio there was a homeless man who thought Pintor was homeless. He and the man, who Pintor called “John,” talked about faith. “I never do that; I don’t talk to people about the Bible,” Pintor said; however, they spoke about Psalm 68:6 and dealing with loneliness, and “John” decided not to do drugs with another man he was scheduled to hang out with that evening. “Even if I helped him for one day, that may have been what he needed,” said Pintor.
In addition to the canvas marked by priests and deacons, Pintor asked “John” and dozens of others to make markings on a second canvas that he brought on the trip. That colorful canvas is nearly completed.
Pintor’s openness to God’s will was evident, even when he questioned things. His first stop was at a church in Atlanta, Georgia. However, because he did not have a clear message to explain what he was trying to do, he was not well received by the first person to whom he spoke.
“God knows what’s in my heart, but I was nervous and honestly the deacon didn’t treat me that well,” said Pintor, who left and prayed at an outdoor Stations of the Cross. He was inspired to return and found another deacon giving a tour to some people. Pintor joined the group and learned details about Lent, the liturgical significance of the colors purple and rose, and the religious art in the building. That deacon was the first to sign his canvas – with the symbol of a fish.
“I learned more there than when I went to school. He taught me so much,” Pintor said.
At one point, as he drove all day to New Orleans, Pintor was concerned that he would not have enough signatures and markings to create his art. “I only had about three signatures and I was wondering how I would get more by just visiting one church per week,” he said. “I was wondering what was the point of all this? I left my barbershop for what?”
He continued to question when he arrived in New Orleans on a Thursday morning; it was raining and he still wasn’t sure about his next steps. He prayed and read his Bible and then headed to a chapel where he found a priest who said he would sign his canvas – later. Well, it turned out that later really paid off.
When Pintor returned at a designated time, not only did he get markings from 15 priests who had been attending a meeting, he was inspired by the most beautiful stained glass he had ever seen.
“Everything was meant to be the way it happened,” said Pintor.
That included many aspects of the roller coaster trip. He would sleep in his van one evening and use public restrooms, then meet up with an acquaintance and stay at a “Four Seasons” hotel the next. He cut hair for Yoán Moncada, third baseman for the White Sox, and attended the World Baseball Classic in Miami, but he was also lonely at times. “You cry a lot when you are by yourself,” he shared.
Other stops on the faith-filled journey included the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida, and St. Ann in Naples, Florida, in addition to stops in San Antonio and Houston. He found himself at St. Gabriel in Dallas, Texas, on Holy Thursday and St. Joseph in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Good Friday. He then made it back to St. Michael on Easter Sunday where Father Martin Dobryzinski, pastor, put his final markings on the canvas.
Pintor said the church may end up hanging the piece or auctioning it to raise money for its Growing into the Future Together (GIFT) campaign for campus improvements.
Despite the challenges of his trip, Pintor wouldn’t change a thing. “Anyone I saw, I felt was sent by God,” he said. “It was because of him that I embarked on this trip, and I am grateful for his presence in my life. Throughout the journey, I constantly prayed for God’s guidance.”