The statues in the chapel
The Glorious Christ
To decorate the apse and dominate the chapel’s interior, we wanted to depict a glorious Christ. Here, Christ is victorious over death: the Cross no longer holds him. The Cross was the opportunity to overcome sin and evil through love and obedience. It is as if he is ascending before the Cross, still bearing the marks of his passion, calling all men and women to follow him to the Father.
“Recognized as a man by his appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, and the death of the cross. That is why God exalted him: he endowed him with the Name that is above every name” (Phil 2:8-9): the words of the apostle Saint Paul, in the hymn to the Philippians, translate the movement represented by the Cross where Jesus was crucified. From the bottom to the top, from the abasement of humanity to the elevation to the glory of Heaven, where the Crucified-Resurrected takes with Him those He has saved. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, redemption is fully accomplished. In an astonishing paradox that reason alone cannot overcome, the instrument of torture “has become a source of life, forgiveness and mercy, a sign of reconciliation and peace”, as Benedict XVI explained in 2008. There is no sorrow or material idolatry in the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, but rather thanksgiving and an invitation to “find refuge under its wing” (Ps 91), for it is “on this wood that Jesus reveals His sovereign majesty (…). In our midst is the One who loved us to the point of giving his life for us, the One who invites every human being to approach him with trust”, Benedict XVI continues.
Holy Family
Here we have a unique representation of the Holy Family of Nazareth. We can ”contemplate” the saintly protector Joseph, in a standing position, encircling the Virgin and Child with his two arms, barely touching them out of deference and purity. Their eyes meet in ineffable tenderness, while their faces light up. The Holy Family is a veritable model of sanctification for Christian families. Through the contemplation of Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus, we have a very concrete example of the roles and attitudes of each member of the family, and of the love that is lived there.
In reading the Gospels, we see that St. Joseph lived out his role as father, ensuring the family’s protection and material well-being; the Virgin Mary, more focused on the spiritual life and keeping “all these things faithfully in her heart” (Luke 2:51), is the guardian of the home. As for Jesus, the Gospels tell us that they “were subject to them […] he grew in wisdom, stature and grace, before God and men.” (Luke 2, 51-52).
To venerate the Holy Family is to put ourselves in their school of holiness and discover “what the family is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, its sacred and inviolable character” (Paul VI).
This is why so many couples and families consecrate their members here, in front of this statue, to be under the benevolence of the Holy Family, while allowing themselves to be inspired by this “vision” of true holiness, shared by all. We know that Rita drew from the source of the Holy Family to live family virtues to the full.
Saint Rita
We take our explanation directly from a letter written by the sculptor himself, Mr Peter KOSTNER:
“When I was commissioned to create a statue of Saint Rita for the chapel, I read her life story and was surprised by her simplicity and humility. Rita felt immensely loved by God and wanted to match his love by offering herself to him in religious life. Her parents did not accept this choice and she had to marry. Her husband, in contact with her, went from a depraved life to conversion; later, however, he was murdered by former enemies. Her children later died of the plague. Left alone, Rita was able to enter the convent. There, in silence, she meditated on the life of Jesus, and felt the immense joy of being all His. Jesus, crucified and abandoned, was a model for her soul, and it was on the cross that he loved her most. And Rita wanted to respond to this love by loving God above all else, despite the suffering she encountered in her daily life.
I wanted to depict Saint Rita presenting us with this experience of God and inviting us to follow her. This is the meaning of the gesture of her left hand: she gives us what she has received, and invites us to enter into the same communion with Christ.
Mr Peter KOSTNER, sculptor
The statue is carved in lime wood and painted with light oil colors.
Soutenez votre sanctuaire
Votre soutien nous aide à poursuivre les différentes activités de ce lieu de sanctuaire.
Contribution à la Messe
Demandez au Sanctuaire de Sainte Rita une messe pour vos intentions, commémorant l’Eucharistie et la présence du Christ.
Allumer un cierge
Des cierges brûlent sans cesse , symbolisant nos prières et remerciements pour que nos vies deviennent lumière.
Intention de prière
Sainte Rita, Saine patronne des causes perdues, accueille vos intentions et remerciements, et que la charité fraternelle renforce notre prière.