Three paintings currently on display at the Worcester Art Museum celebrate the founders of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the continuing presence of Jesuits in the city of Worcester, especially at the College of the Holy Cross.
The year 2006 marks the 450th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the 500th anniversary of the birth of two of his original companions, St. Francis Xavier and Blessed Peter Faber. This “Jesuit Jubilee” year is being celebrated with a wide variety of events around the world. The special installation of paintings at the Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., is on display through Dec. 31.
Rev. Thomas Worcester, S.J., associate professor of history at Holy Cross, is organizer of the installation and author of the 12-page, full-color guide titled “The Jesuits, 1506-2006: A Visual Celebration.” The guide details the significance of the paintings, which belong to the museum, and offers a brief history of the Jesuits. He says the installation, intended for a broad audience, brings together and highlights three important paintings, paintings that offer insight into Jesuit priorities, including the visual dimension of religious experience.
Last year, the Worcester Art Museum and Holy Cross, along with Clark University, partnered for the critically-acclaimed exhibition Hope and Healing: Painting in Italy in a Time of Plague, 1500-1800. Earlier this year, Fr. Worcester was named the 2005-2006 recipient of Holy Cross’ Mary Louise Marfuggi Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship for his work on the Hope and Healing exhibition, where he served as one of the four curators and organizers of the show. Fr. Worcester is currently working on the Cambridge Companion to the Jesuits, a book under contract with Cambridge University Press.
Also in celebration of Jesuit Jubilee, an exhibition by Archives and Special Collections in Dinand Library, celebrates Xavier’s birthday. The exhibition, which can be seen in the Library’s Main Reading Room, includes photos of his birthplace, the chapel where he was ordained, relics, and biographies in English, Spanish and French.
Related information:
Paintings at Worcester Art Museum Celebrate Legacy of Jesuits
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