Travel anywhere in the world and ask to be taken to the most beautiful building in the area. Most often, you will be taken to a Catholic church. Not only will the architecture be extraordinary, but inside you’ll find beautiful paintings, hand-crafted stained glass, and stunning statues.

This all begs the question: Why? Why spend so much time, energy, and money to create one beautiful building? Why have Catholics built so many beautiful churches in every century and all across the globe? 

Ultimately, it isn't about the art or architecture itself. The real reason? Faith. An unshakable belief that Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist, would come to dwell in that church for as long as it stands.

The beauty of Catholic churches throughout the world is a testament to this faith.

Blessed Fra Angelico was a monk who devoted his life to painting beautiful artworks in monasteries, convents, and churches. Primarily, he painted altarpieces: paintings that decorate the altar, where the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. Fra Angelico also painted the Institution of the Eucharist itself, the moment when Jesus first gave his Body and Blood to his disciples as heavenly food and drink at the Last Supper.

What do Fra Angelico’s paintings tell us when we stand before them in a church? They say that there is something greater here than art or architecture, something more than history—and not just something…but someone. That someone is Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist, present in every Catholic Church in the world, and present in the tabernacle of your local church.

Next time you’re in a Catholic church, take a moment to appreciate the beauty around you and let it remind you of an even more beautiful reality: That Jesus is there, truly present in the church with you.

Patron Saint of: Artists

Symbols: Paintbrush

Feast Day: February 18

Feast Day Shared By: Blessed John of Fiesole and Saint Leo of Patera

Beatified: October 3, 1982

Beatified By: Pope John Paul II