Desvaldi Serigraph Donated to St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Leading to Dialogue Homily About the Serigraphs Gifting Initiative During Sunday Mass
- Benjamin Fernandez
- Jul 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 27
It is with immense gratitude that I announce the donation of a framed serigraph print, “The Adoration of the Kings” by Italian contemporary artist Gabriela Desvaldi, to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Bridgewater, New Jersey! For over a year now, I have led a community art initiative in which I have been gifting these limited-edition religious serigraphs by Gabriela Desvaldi to individuals, various community facilities and religious institutions. This began last spring, when my mom and I received the serigraphs from a family friend, and I was in turn inspired—with my mom’s full support—to share this gift of art and faith with others. Over time, there have been gifted over 100 prints, and they have undergone an incredible journey of gratitude, the continual sharing of kindness, and the forging of connections old and new.
In addition to the serigraphs themselves, I have been collecting and restoring vintage and antique frames for the prints that are selected specially for particular locations. All serigraphs come with a certificate of authenticity (which—like the print itself—bears the artist’s signature and edition number). Later on, I started to include a brief description of Desvaldi and her work, along with the label certifying the gift.
This past month, I was introduced by a few friends to St. Martin’s Church in my hometown of Bridgewater. After attending Sunday Mass there a few times, I was introduced to Fr. Rob Laws, the pastor, to whom I, in time, inquired about the donation of a framed Desvaldi serigraph to the parish. We arranged for its installation in the Lady Chapel, right near the church itself, where it now hangs adorned in a wood-carved, gold-painted frame that nicely complements the beautiful wood-carved and painted work there that was created by past parishioners.
I was profoundly honored to have been offered the amazing opportunity to participate in a dialogue homily with Fr. Rob during Mass this past Sunday. During this special occasion, I responded to a short series of questions from him by sharing about my faith journey that led to St. Martin’s, the origins of Desvaldi and her serigraphs, and my own pursuits as a mixed media artist who often explores aspects of the spiritual. On display was an additional framed serigraph for the rest of the congregation to view while we talked in detail about the work.
I could not be more incredibly thankful to the church and to Fr. Rob for graciously accepting a framed Desvaldi serigraph, and for providing me with the time to speak on this beautiful piece to him and the congregation. I also greatly appreciated the acknowledgement in the weekly church bulletin, as well as the weekly Mass missals for the Sunday prior to and the Sunday of the event.
As I explained during this special occasion, my mom and I had been searching for a church that is community-oriented and willing to address current issues in our world, as well as a place where we could meet new people and simply be a part of something. Having experienced all of this and more at St. Martin’s Church, we are very excited to have joined this congregation, and also to see parishioners already appreciating the beautiful print.
Wherever the Desvaldi serigraphs will take us from here, we were overjoyed to see this gift of art and faith strengthen what we hope to be a lasting connection with this wonderful parish and community. This chain of events comes to show, once again, that kindness is a gift that keeps on giving. 🗣️🖼️⛪️🙏🏻
“The Adoration of the Kings” by Gabriela Desvaldi can be viewed in the Lady Chapel anytime during the church’s operating hours.
P.S.: An additional shoutout goes to Fr. Rob, his husband Fausto, and several fellow parishioners who stayed with me and my mom after Mass as we sought to resolve two flat tires on my mom’s car! 🛞
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