Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
July 4, 2001
Artist who repaired crucifix needs help to fix prosthesis
Painter restored century-old shattered corpus at Sacred Heart, Denver
By Alwen Bledsoe
At 14, David Morones lost his left leg when a drunk driver backed his pick-up truck into him, pinching his body between the truck and another car. Though Morones' right leg survived, limited movement and thick golden scars attest to the beating it also took.
For nearly two years, Morones laid in bed, certain he would never walk again. At 15, he received a prosthetic leg made of heavy plastic and wood that made movement, though laborious, possible again. At 31 he still wears the same leg despite the fact that it no longer fits and movement is difficult and painful, he said.
Because his English is limited, Morones told his story mostly through the translation of Father Marcus Medrano, pastor of Sacred Heart in Denver.
Eyes reddening with unspent tears, Morones remembered, "I felt a desire to die."
Father Medrano wept openly as he translated, and, after pausing to let his own tears escape, Morones continued:
"All my family helped me and encouraged me, and little by little, I began to go ahead. I knew that my family helped me all they could because they didn't have any money and now I help them a lot."
Though his family still lives in Mexico, Morones moved from his hometown of Mazátlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, to the United States about three years ago and now lives in Lakewood with his wife Cristela and his two sons David and Daniel.
In the last three years, Morones has begun to find a bit of a niche at Sacred Heart where his formerly overlooked talents as an artist and craftsman have found a home to beautify.
His prosthetic leg dragging behind him slightly, Morones slowly led the way up the church's old wooden stairway to the sanctuary, which teems with evidence of his talent. An oval painting resplendent with rich blues hangs in the sanctuary depicting the ascension, and two paintings, which Morones calls "A Son Learning from His Parents," hang in the hallway depicting scenes of Jesus with his parents.
Polished and radiating with rich color and precise form, the paintings betray no hint that Morones is not a professional artist and is self-taught.
Father Medrano discovered the artist's raw talent when he first met Morones, who had come to see him about having his children baptized. Pointing to several paintings hanging on the wall, Morones told the pastor that he also painted. When the priest saw Morones' work, he hired him to paint religious art as well as to do odd jobs around the church, including, he hopes, some stained glass work as soon as Morones can receive training in the art form.
Morones said that he has drawn and painted all his life, back to his boyhood in Mexico when he traced his brother's shadow in the sand and drew pictures of the family ranch. He spent much of his two years in bed practicing his art with paint tubes his brother would buy for him, he said.
"When I had the accident," he remembered, "I tried to paint, paint, paint."
Later he added, "I think it is the gift God gave me."
The priest's affection for the church's "artist-in-residence" is clear as he speaks with admiration of Morones' faith. "I always ask him `Did you ever hate God?' and he always tells me, `Never.'"
That, said Morones, is "because when the accident first happened, my brother first came up to me and told me, `Put your life in God's hands and have faith.' I remember that all the time."
To illustrate Morones' talent as a craftsman and an artist, Father Medrano pulled out pictures of a shattered 120-year old crucifix. In the pictures, ragged chunks of legs and arms huddle in boxes.
"It broke into pieces," said Father Medrano. "I mean it was junk." Nonetheless, at the priest's request, Morones went to work trying to repair it. "He put it back together and you can not tell it was ever broken," said Father Medrano. The crucifix now hangs in the sanctuary, one full, seamless piece. Looking at Morones, Father Medrano added, "But my major concern is putting him back together again."
Money is scarce, explained Morones, because his limited mobility makes finding work difficult, and walking is painful due to his ill-fitting 15-year-old prosthetic leg.
"Sometimes I find him in the garage trying to fix the pin," said Father Medrano. "He tries to make his own pin so it fits."
Father Medrano has taken up Morones' cause, but said that his parish cannot afford to help much. Friends of Man, a public charity in Littleton, said it is considering paying some of the cost, but is waiting for an estimate on the cost of a new prosthesis and has asked if other sources of income will be available if it is unable to foot the entire bill. A committee will review the application once Friends of Man receives the requested information, said the organization. It will then make a decision regarding the request for financial assistance.
Father Medrano said he does not have money even to take Morones to the doctor for an evaluation and, therefore, received an extension from the organization in order to raise the money for an estimate and a co-pay to supplement Friends of Man funds if they are granted.
Donations can be sent to Sacred Heart at 2760 Larimer St., Denver, CO 80205. Make checks out to Sacred Heart, but include David Morones' name in the memo line. For more information, call Father Medrano at 303-294-9830.
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