Catholic Focus: Refiners’ Fires

Michele Nuzzo

January 21, 2009
Corpus et Spiritus by Farhad Nargol-O’Neill / Detail of “Prophesy” by Sarah Hall
“Our life is transformed by beauty, truth and goodness and it is touched first by the great gift of the Lord God, which is beauty. In turn, beauty leads to the good and the true which ultimately leads to a deeper knowledge of our Lord God.” These were the words of Toronto’s Archbishop Thomas Collins at the unveiling of the sculpture “Corpus et Spiritus,” a powerful contemporary expression of the nature of our Catholic faith which permanently adorns the atrium of the York Catholic District School Board in Aurora Ontario.
For centuries, the power and beauty of art has maintained a long standing tradition of leading hearts and minds towards the discovery of The beautiful one. Tonight, Catholic Focus celebrates this creative medium by profiling sculptor Farhad Nargol-O’Neill (creator of Corpus et Spiritus) and internationally acclaimed stain glass artist Sarah Hall, two of Canada’s leading contemporary artists whose faiths inform their work and mark its results in magnificent ways.
During the unveiling of the aforementioned piece, Farhad noted that “Nothing happens without approval from the top.” Though he may have been specifically referring to the director of education for YCDSB, his journey and achievements reveal an approval that extends far beyond the confines of a school board. Likewise, Sarah Hall’s international demands speak volumes of her own success marked by a deep appreciation for her ability to shape the architectural language of a building, in celebration of the master architect Himself.
=The capability of illustrating the psychological, emotional and historical nature of faith in a language much approved and understood by our contemporaries is indeed a gift. For a deeper understanding of Farhad’s expressive style and Sarah’s masterful ability to manipulate light and redefine the purpose of her art form, I invite you to tune into Catholic Focus Wednesday, January 21st or Sunday January 25th, at 7pm and 11pm ET.