“You could almost hear the ears perk up,” said parishioner Louise Jensen, recalling Sister Maria Inviolata’s announcement.

First, they needed to find out if it was feasible to restore the mural. Then, there was the matter of the cost, and if people would be willing to donate. They simply weren’t sure if it was all possible.

The mural in question may have been original to the St. Mary Church, built in 1950 in Port Sanilac. Though Sister Maria Inviolata searched for confirmation, details were scarce. Louise remembered being taken in by it when she moved to the parish in 1979. The mural, with its striking rays emanating like a sunburst from behind Christ’s head and torso, was the backdrop of her wedding and her children’s baptism photos.

The mural remained a main feature at St. Mary’s until the mid-’80s, when cracks in the back wall required repair. At the time, the parish lacked the funds to repair the cracks and the mural, so it was instead covered with vinyl wallpaper.

It looked attractive, but it just wasn’t the same, Louise said.

Recently, staff at the now-merged Ave Maria Parish discovered that the unused chimney was leaking, causing water damage. The wallpaper was loose—a potential safety hazard if and when it fell. As a preventative measure, they raised scaffolding and removed the wallpaper, and that’s when they saw it.

“Everybody could see what was behind it: the remains of the mural. It was pretty well-preserved, except for there were cracks and glue marks where the paper had been glued to the wall, but a lot of it was still very much there,” Sister Maria Inviolata said. “If you use your imagination, you could fill in the blanks.”

It was quickly decided they would not be putting wallpaper over the wall again, so that left two choices: restore the original mural, or paint over it.

Which brings us to the moment when Sister Maria Inviolata brought the question to the parishioners, who, overwhelmingly, supported the restoration.

“Some of them could remember [the mural],” Sister Maria Inviolata said. “One lady got really emotional about it. She said, ‘I remember the day they covered it up, and we came to church, and she said, I just cried because it didn’t look like my church.’”

It wasn’t just parishioners who remembered the mural, she said. Younger parishioners and seasonal parishioners, who attend Mass during the summer while vacationing in Port Sanilac, were also interested in the restoration.

The parish received a quote from painter Eric Groff, who had previously worked with the late John Nelapa. Groff’s painting company has done other work in churches, and Nelapa had painted St. Mary of Czestochowa in Kinde, along with other parishes.

The investment for the painting was significant— $25,000— but within a week it was fully funded, including contributions from many seasonal parishioners. Ave Maria Parish leadership brought the project to the Diocesan Building Commission and Father Jim Bessert, liturgical consultant and advisor, for approval. Father Jim also blessed the mural on July 13 during the Sunday morning Mass.

“It truly is ... an absolutely beautiful restoration,” Father Jim said. “I believe the current restoration is even more spectacular, given the brilliant gold leaf framing done by the artist.”

Louise noted that the gold archway and lines represent, to her, “the best we can give to God.”

For Louise, the most powerful part of the mural is that the lines converge just behind Christ’s torso, radiating out from his crucified body.

“I think that is pointing to him as the be-all and the end-all of everything,” she said. “That’s the first thing you see. That’s a wonderful impact.”

Sister Maria Inviolata said that since the mural’s completion, parishioners have been extremely positive and excited, even inviting their friends to come to the church to see the mural.

“Goodness, Truth and Beauty—that’s God!” she said. “Beauty is a draw ... it’s not the end; it’s a means to draw us into God, because God is all-beautiful. ... Hopefully, [the Lord] will touch them and touch their hearts with his grace and beauty.”