Of all Catholic devotional items, certainly one of the most distinctive and traditional is the statue. Serving as visible reminders of persons who are considered sacred by the Church, statues help us remember that saints and holy persons are not disembodied angels, but human beings like us. It is precisely their power as symbols that makes statues an element of religious faith rather than superstition. A final reason for the use of statues has to do with the Catholic belief in intercessory prayer. We are part of a universal community of believers, both living and deceased, who together are seeking greater union with God. You are invited to visit and be reminded of the holy lives that these statues represent.

     We are truly blessed to have the beautiful creation of Rick Cermak as a part of our environment. At Eastertime in 2017, he presented the parish with a new Saint Joseph sculpture replacing a piece from 1983 that had been badly deteriorating for years. It holds a place of honor in the southeast corner of the church (where the tabernacle used to be located) with the original carpenter’s bench enhancing this altar. In addition and just in time for Christmas in 2018, parishioner Char Baumbick generously crafted a beautiful folding screen to act as a backdrop and cleverly hide the cold air return grate in that area.

     For Christmas in 2018, St. Joseph Parish was blessed to have Rick present the Holy Family sculpture that greets everyone as they enter the Narthex. Click here to learn more about this creation. To read about how this talented person gets his inspiration, click here to discover more About the Artist.