Ascension Honors Father of Western Monasticism, St. Benedict of Nursia, with New Painting
[Exton, PA, November 15, 2024—]
Sacred artist Tianna Williams adds to Ascension’s collection of Holy Men & Women Sacred Art with a beautiful new painting of St. Benedict.
To join her stunning portraits of St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Martin de Porres, and more, Tianna Williams has added another impactful saint to Ascension’s Holy Men & Women Sacred Art Collection: St. Benedict of Nursia.
Intentionally painted to capture the spirit of St. Benedict, this new image gives Catholics a thought-provoking image to pray with when they ask for the intercession of this great saint and reflect upon his prayer and way of life.
A broken chalice held in the saint’s hands and a raven flying in the background symbolize times when St. Benedict’s life was in danger and God used his power to protect him. As well, Catholics will see the monastery Benedict founded in the background and his halo, which references the St. Benedict medal that the faithful still use today to fight against evil.
In a prayer written about St. Benedict found on the prayer card, Fr. Josh Johnson invokes the intercession of this powerful saint:
“St. Benedict of Nursia, we invite you to intercede for us so that we may cultivate a life of intentional prayer and work. We pray that we may always seek the voice of God in the silence of our hearts, in the study of the Scriptures, and among our daily tasks. Through your intercession, may we discern a rule of life we can live by, so that we too might attain the holiness to inspire a new generation of saints.”
The Sacred Art of St. Benedict is available as a canvas print, photo print, and a pack of 10 prayer cards.
Born into a musical ministry family, Tianna Williams has always had a love for art and beauty. After dabbling in various artistic media during her childhood, Tianna began a career in graphic design at the age of 16. For more than a decade now, she has been honing her skills and sense of mission for bringing beauty to the Church through the visual arts.
Shortly after her marriage in 2015, Tianna picked up a paintbrush once again. What started as a few portraits of the modern saints for her daughter’s bedroom soon blossomed into a flourishing ministry and website: Sacred Art By Tianna.
Today, Tianna is a leading Catholic artist who seeks to honor the lives of holy men and women through her paintings. She explains, “As I have painted the faces of Mary and the saints, I feel as though I have developed a beautiful friendship with these holy souls. Each one has challenged me in a unique way—one may call me to perseverance, another to patience, yet another to simplicity. Time and again I have experienced a flood of grace that has allowed me to do what I know I am not capable of. I am deeply humbled to have been called to this work, and profoundly grateful.”
Tianna lives in Saskatchewan, Canada with her husband and children.
About Ascension
Ascension is a multimedia network and the leader in Catholic faith formation and digital content. Over the past 25 years, Ascension has helped nurture the faith of more than 20 million Catholics through award-winning books, the chart-topping Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)® podcast, more than 50 unique faith formation programs, and Ascension Presents, which hosts one of the largest Catholic YouTube channels in English.
