SWAMPSCOTT — St. John the Evangelist Church is getting ready for two new additions to amplify the atmosphere: two huge paintings that depict scenes from the bible, which will be installed on the back walls of the altar on Sept. 28.
Msgr. John McLaughlin brought The Daily Item inside the church on Humphrey Street to show where the two new paintings will go, where he explained the background of the new development.
“When we were painting the inside of the church and doing it all over, I said to myself, ‘Something’s missing,’” McLaughlin said. “We started painting things gold and green to bring peoples’ attention to the altar. … But then there was this emptiness up front.”
When McLaughlin was combing through old photos of the church, he came across one with a painting on the top ceiling of the altar — where the artwork depicted Jesus saving Peter — which, oddly enough, is actually one of the paintings McLaughlin plans to have installed later this month.
“It’s kind of funny that that was the picture I chose,” he recalled.
He added that the artwork was later covered up with paint, saying that the scenery was left a little plain and noting that stain-glass windows and statues were also removed from the altar.
McLaughlin connected with a friend of his, who put him in touch with Michael Corsini — the artist contracted to do the work — and after seeing that Corsini also did artwork for a church in California, McLaughlin knew he was the right person for the job.
“We had to choose two paintings — and since we’re right near the ocean — I wanted to have two paintings of the ocean. … The one of Jesus saving Peter, and the other one was the final prophecy of St. John Bosco, where the ship on the ocean represents the church, tethered to the blessed mother and blessed sacraments,” McLaughlin said.
He continued, “They’re both the salvation of the church, and they’re both on the ocean. That’s why I chose them.”
He noted that the cost of the work being done will estimate $100,000.
“I’m excited for it. I think this is going to be a thing of beauty that people will come to see,” McLaughlin said. “There hasn’t been a piece of artwork that large commissioned in the Archdiocese of Boston in over 50 years.”
The church will also be looking to host a public unveiling once the artwork has been installed, where the community is encouraged to come down and see the new centerpieces.
