Blessed Stanley Rother painting presented to Holy Trinity

On the feast day of Blessed Stanley Rother at his home parish of Holy Trinity in Okarche, a new painting of the martyred priest baptizing a child was unveiled. Half a world away, in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, a print of the artwork was presented to the people he loved and served until his death.
 
The two men responsible for the project are Joe Wittrock and Chuck Schroeder.
 
“I saw some of his pencil drawings and I knew he had talent,” Wittrock said. “When I heard the announcement about the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, I called Chuck and asked if he would be interested in doing a piece. I thought it would be a nice gift from my wife Dannette and me.”
 
Wittrock called Schroeder.
 
“I said ‘I think it’s beyond my ability. But, he spoke the words I couldn’t resist, ‘Would you try?’ I said I would.”
 
“Joe sent me a lot of material – clippings, the book, “The Shepherd Cannot Run” – and I started going through the material to get a sense of this remarkable character,” Schroeder said. “I did a number of drawings, some studies and I kept trying to simplify it and keep it within what I perceived were my limits. When I came upon the baptismal scene, I was taken by it and so I did a few of just Blessed Stanley reaching his hand out, then I did two or three with just Blessed Stanley, the mother and child.”
 
Then, Schroeder’s mentor, Sherri McGraw, a nationally recognized artist invited him to stay with them in New Mexico. She told him how important is was for him to focus just on this portrait.
  
So, Schroeder did 39 paintings and drawings in two weeks and two studies of Blessed Stanley before putting it on canvas.
 
“God called me to take this chapter of my life and dedicate it to art. I didn’t understand why until I did this painting. I knew God was saying ‘I want you to use this gift to demonstrate the power of communion with me and community with each other,’” Schroeder said.
 
While finishing the work, Schroeder visited Holy Trinity with Wittrock to get some first-hand connection and then visited the Heritage Gallery at the Catholic Pastoral Center. There, they saw the image of Blessed Stanley bending and speaking to area children.
 
Wittrock said, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
 
Schroeder answered, “I’ve got to paint that!” And, Wittrock commissioned another painting.
 
There will be 18” x 24” canvas and high-quality paper prints available at Schroederfineart.com.
 
Judy Hilovsky is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.

Photo: Chuck Schroeder and Joe Wittrock hold a new painting of Bl. Stanley Rother. Photo Dana Attocknie/Sooner Catholic.