Describing the Church’s new leader as a man of peace and prayer, Bishop Richard F. Stika spoke March 13 to the Knoxville media soon after Pope Francis was introduced to the world. Just as Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation was surprising, so was the relatively quick election of Cardinal Jorge Mario …
Chesterton students carry on chalk-art tradition
‘Madonnari’ drawings now seen on driveways or sidewalks hark back to 16th-century Italian Renaissance Since 2009, the Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk, an annual chalk art festival, has occupied Market Square in downtown Knoxville. Jim Dodson, co-chair of Chalk Walk, states: “Beginning with humble roots, this art experience has enriched our community and shown the public the importance and the power visual arts can play in our lives.” Few people realize the rich history and Catholic tradition of sidewalk chalk art. This tradition continues at Knoxville’s Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow, led by art and drama teacher Sonia Summers, an award-winning professional chalk artist. Following in the footsteps of 16th-century pilgrims of the Italian Renaissance, itinerant artists traveling from one town to another would use bits of brick and charcoal to draw artworks on the ground, frequently including images of the Madonna, the Blessed Virgin Mary. This earned them the... Read more →