SWAMPSCOTT — St. John the Evangelist Church has unveiled two new eye-catching pieces of artwork along the walls of the altar with the hope of leaving people with a sense of awe when they walk inside.
The artwork was done by artist Michael Corsini, who connected with Msgr. John McLaughlin through a network of mutual friends. After seeing Corsini’s work in a church in California, McLaughlin had the idea of enlisting his help in revitalizing the altar.
He elaborated, saying that both paintings are based on scenes from the scripture. The one on the right side is based on Jesus saving Peter, with one on the left being based on the final prophecy of St. John Bosco, where the ship on the ocean represents the church tethered to the Blessed Mother and the blessed sacraments.
The depiction of Jesus saving Peter shows the moment in the Gospel as Peter starts to sink while walking toward Jesus on water, with Jesus reaching out his hand to pull Peter from the depths of the sea.
The other painting, the final prophecy of St. John Bosco, depicts the vision of a ship that symbolizes the church — and though it sails along a chaotic sea — it remains anchored between two critical pillars: the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist.
McLaughlin added that Corsini had been working on the paintings since last year at his residence back in Pennsylvania.
“He painted it on canvas, and he brought the canvas and put it up like wallpaper,” McLaughlin explained, saying that he enlisted help from several parish members to help get it up. The overall process, he said, took about three days.
“We’re very happy that it came out as we hoped, and in time, We had a lot of people here for the unveiling, had a little concert and a wonderful social event afterward,” McLaughlin said. “For the most part, people were very pleased, and some were awestruck.”
McLaughlin continued, where he explained what prompted him to have the artwork commissioned. He noted that “we live in difficult times,” and he wanted to project a message that was both inspiring and left visitors with a sense of awe.
“We really wanted this to be a good image of salvation and hope,” he said.
He also cited the help the church received in funding the endeavor, noting that it wasn’t just parish members, but also friends of McLaughlin from “all over the country.”
McLaughlin said that when people come inside, he hopes they feel a sense of “awe.”
“When Michelangelo built the Vatican, the reason why he built it to such a huge scale was because he wanted people to feel small… He wanted them to feel the power of God, the power of the church,” McLaughlin said. “As soon as they walk in, those paintings just kind of it them right in the face.”
He added that they were inspired by churches in Rome and wanted to replicate that feeling of immense, intricate detail.
“You open the door and see these massive murals, and it leaves you in awe. That’s kind of what we wanted here,” he said. “That’s what God is — and should be — a sense of awe in our lives.”
One resident, Bobby Zee, was sitting in one of the pews up front and admiring the newly-installed artwork. He shared his thoughts with The Item.
“This piece of artwork is incredible, especially with Swampscott being near the ocean — and for me, I was in the coast guard — so to see all this painting and the wild storms we’ve had on the coast throughout the years, it’s really cool to see,” Zee said.
