Muralist brings Bible stories to life on walls of parish center

Published: 2005-07-26

BOHEMIA, N.Y. (CNS) -- The main corridor in the parish center of St. John Nepomucene Church in Bohemia will never be confused with the Sistine Chapel, but an ambitious art project is creating a buzz among parishioners and others who come to the one-story brick building. "It's astonishing," Father James Wood, pastor, said of a multicolored mural depicting Bible stories that is being created on the upper portion of the corridor walls, which are 250 feet in length. "People who see it are touched by it. They bring their friends to take a look at it." The masterpiece-in-the-making is the work of parish secretary Marianne Savage, who applied the first stroke of acrylic paint to her cement canvas in July 2004. Savage, who expects to put the finishing touches on the project in September 2006, is approaching the midway point and hopes to have the Old Testament scenes completed by late summer.

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