For Joshua Hochschild, Ph.D., this year’s Lenten season was deepened by an oft-overlooked Catholic spiritual practice: painting. The philosophy professor and former dean of the College of Liberal Arts, along with other Emmitsburg natives, spent several weeks copying a famous icon together as they prepared for Easter.
For Joshua Hochschild, Ph.D., this year’s Lenten season was deepened by an oft-overlooked Catholic spiritual practice: painting. The philosophy professor and former dean of the College of Liberal Arts, along with other Emmitsburg natives, spent several weeks copying a famous icon together as they prepared for Easter.
The group of about 16 people met on Tuesday evenings at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church during Lent, and for a few weeks after Easter. The meetings were led by Ray Buchheister, an Emmitsburg artist and art teacher who’s studied iconography and classical art for years, even training in Russia. While Hochschild noted that participants ranged from seasoned artists to complete beginners, they were taught by Buchheister as they copied the famous Icon of the Good Shepherd, learning the history and religious significance of icons along the way. Fr. Harry Arnone, St. Joseph’s associate pastor, was among the small group, and led prayer and reflections on spiritual topics each week.
The retreat was the fulfillment of a long-held interest for Hochschild, as well as a chance to develop spiritually. “As a scholar and teacher who deals mainly in ideas and words, it is refreshing to use my eyes and hands,” he shared. “I’ve always loved drawing and painting but have no formal training…I have always wanted to try painting, or ‘writing,’ an icon.”
Hochschild also explained that for ages now, “icons have been described as ‘windows’: you don’t look at them, you look through them to deeper realities,”—something he experienced himself. The Icon of the Good Shepherd, an image depicting Christ carrying a sheep symbolic of the Church and dating back to the earliest years of Christianity, was not a particular favorite of his before Lent, but he realized that he had come to appreciate the image and its meaning over the course of the retreat.
Another unexpected result was the variations in each person’s rendition of the Good Shepherd icon. Hochschild observed that iconography has certain standards, and they all painted from the same, traditional model of the image. However, participants ended up with differences in style and in the way they portrayed Christ. “At the end, it’s like the icon ‘comes alive,’ and you see a unique human face: some versions more severe, some gentle; some expressing more joy, or mercy, or suffering,” Hochschild reflected.
Ultimately, the retreat provided Hochschild an opportunity to deepen his prayer life, explore a new facet of his faith, and develop a skill that’s different from his day-to-day experiences as a professor. The retreat came to full fruition this summer, as participants reunited at Buchheister’s home and had their works of art blessed by Fr. Arnone.