Father Larry LaMonaco and a long-time altar server stand in front of the mural installed on the left wall of the church. The massive 34 foot by 21 foot mural brings people into the scene of Christ’s crucifixion. HICKORY — Good Friday was two months ago, but for members of St. Aloysius Parish, that day will live on through the installation of a mural painted by local Catholic artist Lisa Autry.
The mural captures a powerful portrayal of the Crucifixion that has brought parishioners to their knees in prayer and quiet reflection.
“I think it is amazing. I love what it is adding to our church, the atmosphere of it,” said Carrie Socha, who has been a parishioner for three years.
The work took about nine months to complete. What started as an 8” x 11” computer sketch was unveiled as a 34’ x 21’ life-size piece covering much of the left wall of the church.
Autry, who finished the last paint strokes during the Easter season, got emotional at the sight of her work.
“I was painting the blood and bruising right during Easter time,” Autry said. “I have never painted the Crucifixion, so it was very touching. I just tried to show all the emotions of everyone that would have been there on the darkest day of human history.”
That emotion emanates from the expressions of the two-dimensional biblical characters on the walls into the hearts of parishioners in the pews.
“While I am praying, it makes me feel like I am part of that moment,” Socha said.
The mural is dedicated to the late Michele Acosta McCreary, who was co-founder of McCreary Modern, a large furniture manufacturer. (Lisa M. Geraci | Catholic News Herald)
The mural depicts guards rolling dice for Jesus’ tunic while another soldier sits alone with the realization that he helped kill the true “King of the Jews.” Joseph of Arimathea waits in despair to procure the body of Christ while Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ mother Mary weep. Jesus and the two thieves hang on three crosses in the distance, while the world around them reacts, some in mourning and changed forever by the death of Christ, others indifferent.
“It tells a story. I like the part where the guys are rolling the dice. They seem totally oblivious,” shared Father Larry LoMonaco, pastor of St. Aloysius. “I mean, the greatest thing in history happens, and they are sitting there rolling dice. Lisa really figured out how to bring this to life.“
The artwork was dedicated to the late Michele McCreary, co-founder of McCreary Modern Inc., a furniture manufacturer with more than 800 employees at six plants throughout North Carolina.
Even though they are not Catholic, her husband, one of the artwork’s two benefactors, arranged her funeral at St. Aloysius Church in 2024 and wanted a way to honor her there. A plaque highlighting her life sits at one corner of the work.
Planning for and creating the mural took about a year.
“It has been my experience that if you truly pray and take yourself out of the equation, and let it happen, God will work it out,” Father LoMonaco said. “Because we are on God’s time, He is not on our time.”
After Father LoMonaco tackled a long string of parish maintenance projects, the time felt right to finally focus on the beautification of the church.
“I got all the important stuff done. The elevator, the heating system and the AC, and now it is nice to have some art,” Father LoMonaco said.
Though the mural is complete, Father LoMonaco has already hired Autry to design another on the adjacent wall to depict Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, complete with the Magi and a manger.
“I just pray a lot and ask the Lord what He wants to be done. And I thought the idea would be nice,” Father LoMonaco said. “But, I give Lisa artistic license. Just like you don’t want to tell a priest what to preach, you don’t want to tell an artist what to paint.”
— Lisa M. Geraci
