Dialogue Homily Held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church to Commemorate Gift of Desvaldi Serigraph

To follow up from my previous post about 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, I’m sharing the video my mom recorded of the dialogue homily that Fr. Rob Laws, the pastor, graciously invited me to participate in with him during Mass on Sunday, July 19. I was profoundly honored to have been offered this amazing opportunity.

During this special occasion, I responded to a short series of questions from Fr. Rob 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.

As I explained earlier, 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. 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. There have been gifted over 100 prints thus far, and they have undergone an incredible journey of gratitude, the continual sharing of kindness, and the forging of connections old and new.

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 additionally introduced to Fr. Rob, 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 could not be more incredibly thankful to the church and to Fr. Rob for thoughtfully accepting a framed Desvaldi serigraph and arranging for its installation, as well as providing me with the time to speak on this beautiful piece to him and the congregation. 🗣️🖼️⛪️🙏🏻

“The A

doration of the Kings” by Gabriela Desvaldi can be viewed in the Lady Chapel anytime during the church’s operating hours.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/0924c2_e0bbaad6a8c5451196c3b408ead240fd/1080p/mp4/file.mp4