VATICAN CITY (CNS)

Yuroz and Stygian Publishing have exciting news to share! You may recall that Pope Benedict XVI, joined by tens of thousands of pilgrims who held up photos or drawings of the saints, celebrated the canonization mass in St. Peter’s Square on April 26, 2009. Amongst the five individuals elevated to sainthood was Arcangelo Tadini, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Worker Sisters of the Holy House of Nazareth. The pope stated that by orienting their lives to Christ, the five men and women showed “it is possible to lay the foundation for construction of a society open to justice and solidarity, overcoming that economic and cultural imbalance that continues to exist in a great part of our planet.” In his homily, the pope also declared that the saints’ life stories hold valuable lessons for modern Christians. Each of the newly canonized had a special devotion to the Eucharist, and each transformed that spiritual power into social action.

Following the canonization of Father Arcangelo Tadini, authorities in Botticino Sera, Italy, his former home, decided to name the church in Botticino after him. A large painting dedicated to commemorating Tadini’s life is planned. We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Yuroz, who has become known as a respected artist of the people by the Vatican and is well known for his style of cubism, has officially been invited to paint the image. In September 2009, Yuroz traveled to Italy and met Vatican and Botticino officials to discuss the details.

Yuroz’ relationship with the Vatican began when he first visited in 2006, meeting with Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The Cardinal has spent most of his life working with the UN on behalf of the Vatican. Yuroz met Cardinal Martino by special appointment to discuss the proposal of an exhibition and blessing of the United Nations commissioned human rights mural created by Yuroz in 2004. It was proposed that the mural depicting the struggle for human rights would begin its mission to build worldwide awareness and raise funds for the cause with a blessing by the pope. The mural would have then been placed on exhibit in the Vatican Museum before beginning its travels. Due to the internal turmoil created around that time by Pope John Paul II’s death and Pope Benedict XVI’s succession, this project was put on hold; however, Cardinal Martino and other members of the Vatican kept many documents, including letters, catalogs, and photographs of Yuroz’ work.

On November 8, 2009, in the town of Botticino, Italy, the painting created by Yuroz to honor Saint Arcangelo Tadini will be blessed by Pope Benedict XVI in the very same church which will be renamed in his honor.

The painting, titled “The Light of  Compassion”, depicts the story of a man with tremendous compassion, a man who not only served God and his faith but also actively engaged himself with the realties of life. For more about the painting’s story please visit our website, www.yurozone.com. Yuroz has also prepared a special painting for Pope Benedict XVI, titled “Holy family”, which will be presented to Pontiff at the church following the ceremony.

We wanted to personally share this incredible news with you , who have supported Yuroz and helped him grow. We invite you to be part of this inspiring event and celebrate this milestone with Yuroz. Please contact the studio or your personal art consultant for more details.