Global Sisters Report’s Q&A with Sr. Jeana Visel

Sr. Jeana Visel literally wrote the book on iconography. Her book, Icons in the Western Church: Toward a More Sacramental Encounter, speaks to a growing interest in icons in the Western church, and how Roman Catholics after Vatican II can find them both spiritually helpful and challenging.

“When you’re painting an icon, you’re learning from the inside,” Sr. Jeana explains. “It’s a very physical experience, but it’s also emotional. You’re going to hit your limits. For people accustomed to being good on the first try, it can be hard…It’s a human formation issue of accepting one’s limits and that it’s okay to ask for help.”

Her students are also encouraged to pray as they go. “I challenge them: Can you paint and pray at the same time? That’s hopefully a transferable skill when you’re sweeping or doing dishes.”