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Statues of the Saints
As you stand near the baptismal font, notice in the niche the statues of
two saints (near the ambry), and three more statues in a niche on the
opposite wall of the church.
This might be an opportune moment to comment on the Catholic practice of
honoring and praying to the saints, and also our tradition of representing
Jesus, Mary and the saints in statues, pictures and stained glass.
In the very ancient “Apostles’ Creed,” Christians profess faith in the
“communion of saints.” We believe that there is a close union between the
disciples of Jesus who are now pilgrims on earth, those who have died and
are being purified, and those who are in glory, contemplating God in
eternal light. All of us have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit in
baptism, and all of us are called to holiness, so we all may be called
“saints” (holy ones). Catholics commonly use the term to refer to those
who have already entered glory and who offer us both inspiration by the
holy lives they lived in the past and companionship in prayer here and
now. They can pray for us even as we can pray for one another. The votive
candles (electric for safety’s sake) in front of the statues symbolize the
prayers of the Christian rising to the saints in heaven.
The saints in no way deflect our attention from Jesus, the Savior, “the
one Mediator between God and the human race.” (1 Timothy 2:5) Rather, they
lead us to Him. Nor are we any more inclined to think of our statues as
objects of idolatry than we are likely to confuse the photos in our
wallets with the reality of the much loved persons they represent.
Objects associated with the life of a particular saint often identify that
saint in Christian art. Following are the saints in the niches at St.
Peter’s:
Saint Francis of Assisi. Dressed in the brown robe of the
Franciscan Order he founded, Francis holds a bird, recalling his reverence
for God’s presence in creation.
St. Therese of Lisieux. Her love of Christ Crucified is
signified by the crucifix she carries; roses represent her promise to
“send a rose” as a sign of her heavenly intercession.
St. Jude. One of the Twelve Apostles and author of an
epistle, Jude carries an author’s book; the club recalls the reputed means
of his martyrdom. He is invoked as the “patron saint of those in despair
and in hopeless situations.”
St. Anthony of Padua. Dressed in the Franciscan habit, he
carries the Child Jesus because of a vision he received in which the Child
appeared to him.
St. Joseph. Husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus,
Saint Joseph carries the tool of his profession, a carpenter’s square.
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