Painted Church
Reconnecting with art & religion in this charming setting at St Benedict's - The Painted Church. This spectacular church (near Captain Cook, Hawaii) was erected in 1899 by Father John Velghe. He was a Belgian and a member of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Society, familiarly known as the Picpus Fathers. Without any professional training and using only his passion and house paint on ordinary wood he beautified the church with his paintings. In those days few Hawaiians could read and so he taught with pictures-most successfully. He spent over four years with saw and brush to complete the structure and was then recalled to Belgium where he died in 1939.
Uploaded on July 26, 2009