Tuesdays at 7:45 P.M. March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6, April 13, April 20 202
This on-line lecture series explores the history of art in the context of the liturgy, specifically works designed to elevate the mind, heart, and spirit during the Mass. The class will study the glittering mosaics in the baptisteries and apses of Ravenna and Rome, the dazzling vaults and stained glass of the Gothic cathedrals, the triumph of linear perspective in Renaissance altarpieces, the majestic, raised altars of the Counter-Reform and the soaring Baroque baldachins. Learning about the construction, style and meaning of these objects, students will see how, over many centuries and in differing forms, art was used to enhance the experience of the Eucharist and evoke the mystery of the sacraments. Following these classes, participants will discover how beauty is an essential force for persuading the faithful during worship to look not down at the distractions of this world, but to raise our eyes and hearts to things divine. This course celebrates the great continuity from Byzantine glitz to Caravaggio’s shadows with the aim of sparking a discussion of how to draw the gaze of the faithful upward today.
Sign up now!
The Pastoral Ministry office is a Catholic ‘support system’ for parishes and parishioners, helping them to shine luminously as visible signs of Christ’s presence in the world.
The origin of the word “pastor” means “to shepherd,” or to feed and protect. In this spirit, the Pastoral Ministry office helps to guide and sustain the faithful through all stages of their Christian lives.
We help prepare adults and children to become disciples by offering resources on how to become a Catholic, and by supporting youth ministries, young adult ministries, and 22 different cultural ministries. We offer resources for Catholic marriage preparation and family planning. We provide a safe environment for children and youth, uphold peace, justice, well-being, and dignity for all people, particularly through our programs supporting mental health resources and medical care for the whole person. We facilitate consolation to the grieving and offer the peace of our Catholic cemeteries and keep the invitation to Christ’s table alive by providing liturgical advice and assistance to ordained and lay ministers in local parishes.
Please use the links on this page to learn more about how Pastoral Ministry programs and
resources support our faith community, or contact us directly for personal guidance.
Office of Pastoral Ministry
One Peter Yorke Way
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-614-5574