Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
November 28, 2001
Partnership promotes sacred art
Gallery at Queen of Angels Bookstore assists innovative effort
Queen of Angels Catholic Gift and Book Shoppe in Aurora is promoting awareness of the spiritual benefits of sacred art through a partnership with Bridges International, Ltd., a Colorado corporation that encourages parishes to commission original works of sacred art by helping them market reproductions made from originals.
A new gallery at Queen of Angels includes stunning reproductions of the mural of "The Nativity" created by Hungarian artist Eva Makk for Queen of Peace Church in Aurora. A serigraph of "The Resurrection" will be added soon.
"The reason my wife Sharon and I opened the store was to create a comfortable atmosphere where people could discover ways to grow in their faith," explained Ron Hepp, owner of Queen of Angels Bookstore, located at 12203 E. Iliff Ave., near the intersection of Iliff and Havana.
What began as a small storefront in January 1998 has since grown to 4,300-square-feet of books, fine liturgical products, gifts and other religious goods. The expert staff is always available to answer questions and offer suggestions to those seeking more information about the Catholic faith.
What began as a friendship with Father Bill Breslin, then pastor of Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora, now at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Boulder, led the Hepps to expand their store to include an extraordinary display of sacred art.
"Father Bill believes that Catholic homes should include beautiful sacred art because it offers many spiritual benefits and helps promote spiritual growth and maturity," explained Hepp. "When he launched Bridges International, we felt strongly that we wanted to support him in his efforts."
Bridges International is a Colorado corporation established to make high quality art available to large numbers of people by commissioning artists to do major murals in churches or other public buildings and then also commission the artists to do limited edition multiple originals in the same theme to pay the cost of the original murals.
Steve Barnhill, president and CEO of Bridges International, was a highly successful wholesaler of natural foods who was encouraged by Father Breslin to take on the challenge of launching the new corporation to promote sacred art.
"I am a convert and have a deep love for the Catholic faith," explained Barnhill. "I spent much of my life building up a successful business, but came to realize that there is much more to life than being wealthy.
"Father Breslin is a great student of culture, and he helped me to understand how we are all diminished by being constantly bombarded with images that contain content that is based on sex and violence," continued Barnhill. "By encouraging families to make a significant investment in sacred art, they add beauty to their homes that leaves an impression every time you encounter it.
"As a businessman, I recognize that art is also a good investment, and I also use that approach to encourage people to purchase sacred art, but the real reason is much deeper," he explained.
The cost of the serigraphs range from $99 for one stretched and mounted on canvas, to $7,200, for one of the collector's portfolio of giant limited edition images. Information is available at Queen of Angels Bookstore, 303-751-9176.
Individuals or parishes interested in information on how Bridges International can assist in securing original sacred art are invited to call Steve Barnhill at 303-329-4662.
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