2013 Spring Peacemaker - National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia

y fR. MIChael DIGReGoRIo, o.s.a. , founDInG ReCToR of sT. RITaDiD YOU USeall i GAVe YOU?…an InTeRVIeW WITh sT. RITashRIne aRTIsT, anThony VIsCoAnThOnY ViSCO, the giftedartist whose several works inspirethe many visitors to Saint Ritashrine, takes a few minutesto speak with us of his art andits spiritual influence on himselfand others.why have you chosen todevote so much of your talentto religious art?I should say it’s the other wayaround. After years of being rejectedfrom every public art commissionpossible, it seems religious art choseme. However, when I was a youngartist I thought of nothing else but tomake religious art. But then again,that was through my naiveté as Ithought all art was religious.what has been the greatestartistic challenge?When you realize that you’vereceived all that you have prayed for,it always presents that challengeof accepting the gift, not squander it,not bury it, but invest the giventalents. in that sense i always wantto make sure i use all that God hasgiven me. i never want to be asked,“Did you use all that i gave you?”Can you say something to usabout art as an expression ofspirituality?As humans, I think we all look for aGod that we can realize and experienceon different levels whether itis through thought, word, or deed;a God that isn’t so incomprehensiblethat our own beliefs alienate usfrom the God we seek. As Catholics,I think we have a genuine responseto visual art because of our fundamentalbelief in the Incarnation.As Catholics, it’s not a questionof anthropomorphism since theMystery entered its own creationand took on its created flesh.Along with that we realize that notall things are verbally understoodor to be explained by word alone.we leave room for the silent homilyof sculpture and painting. We areblest with a way and means toexpress our beliefs in so manyways. We have seen religious artand architecture change lives.14