Holy Cross’ Cantor Art Gallery to Feature Works of Art Important to Catholic Culture and Worship

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at the College of the Holy Cross will present Catholic Collecting, Catholic Reflection 1538-1850: Objects As a Measure of Reflection on a Catholic Past and the Construction of Recusant Self-Identity in England and America from Feb. 22 to April 13. The show’s curator is Virginia Raguin, visual arts professor at the College.

The exhibition contains more than 60 objects, most from Jesuit institutions across the United States and in England, and includes centuries-old and extremely rare stained glass, liturgical vestments, paintings, books, sculpture and other works of art important to Catholic culture and worship. More than half of the pieces have never before been exhibited in the United States.

A series of public events in conjunction with the exhibit opening will be held at the Cantor Art Gallery on Feb. 22:

* 4:30 p.m. Gallery talk by Virginia Raguin, who will discuss the value of the pieces of art. * 5 p.m. Holy Cross Chamber singers, under the direction of choir director Pamela Getnick, will perform music by Renaissance master Josquin des Prez, featuring a setting of the text "Ave Maria ... Virgo Serena," one of Josquin’s best loved works. * 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Reception

Ten international academics and museum professionals will reflect on the broader issues of the problematic search for meaning in the display of one culture by another in a symposium titled "Religion Matters: Art, Piety, Destruction, and the Politics of Display" on Feb. 26. To see the schedule and abstracts of talks visit: http://college.holycross.edu/projects/catholiccollecting.

The exhibition focuses on the preservation of religious objects by Catholics during the "penal times" under British law. These objects, acquired with great risk, embodied the faithful’s bonds with God, church tradition, and each other. When suppressed, many Catholics during this period came to identify their faith with the prayer books, paintings, and objects of ritual such as Mass vestments and chalices that they were able to obtain or hide. These Catholics became known as recusants — recusing themselves from oaths of loyalty and participation in the state-sanctioned religion. The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) played a major role during this period, in terms of both missions in England and in the colony of Maryland, created as a sanctuary for Catholics in 1634.

Among the Jesuit institutions that have loaned objects for the Holy Cross exhibition are: Stonyhurst College, Lancashire, England; Campion Hall at the University of Oxford, Oxford, England; Georgetown University; Loyola University, Chicago and Holy Cross. The exhibition groups stained glass, alabaster carving, manuscripts, printed books, liturgical vessels, paintings and vestments, including the prized chasuble given to Westminster Abbey by Henry VII.

A major focus will be on the Mass and altar furnishing. Several chalices were produced for Jesuits on clandestine missions in England; one traveled with the Jesuits to Maryland. A series of essays accompanying the exhibit profile aspects of piety, politics, and art, including the early missionary work of the Society of Jesus in England and the Maryland Colony.

A fully illustrated catalogue of 224 pages will be published jointly with the Catholic University of America Press.

One of the major goals of the exhibition is to encourage active interpretation and invite a variety of audiences to reflect on what these objects meant to people of the past. The Chaplains’ Office at Holy Cross will incorporate the exhibition as part of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, and 20 members of the faculty will utilize the show as an element in their courses. One course will train students to act as interpreters for a variety of age groups — from school children to senior citizens — who will visit the gallery. Participants in local parish Lenten programs and Confirmation classes will also be welcomed to tour the gallery, and experience what the objects reveal about Catholic beliefs and the stories of their preservation.

Catholic Collecting, Catholic Reflection 1538-1850 is also occurring during a significant celebratory year for the Jesuits. The year 2006 marks the 450th anniversary of the death (1556) of its founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola and the 500th anniversary of the birth (1506) of two of his fellow students and companions, St. Francis Xavier and Blessed Peter Faber. Jesuit Jubilee 2006 is being celebrated internationally, with events planned at the Jesuit colleges and universities as well as Jesuit provinces the world over. For listings of the many educational events marking this year, visit www.jesuit.org.

Gallery Information

The hours for the Cantor Art Gallery are Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 5p.m., Saturdays 2 - 5 p.m. The gallery is closed March 4 and 11. Located in O’Kane Hall, 1st Floor, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College Street, Worcester, MA, 01610. Admission to the gallery is free. Public parking is located on Linden Lane, gate 2, off College Street.

For more information, call the Cantor Art Gallery at 508-793-3356 or visit the Gallery’s Web site at: www.holycross.edu/departments/cantor/website/index.html.