by Jan Dixon
Special to The Leaven
OLATHE — In the quiet space of her home studio, Patrice Walker of St. Paul Parish here prayerfully paints. She climbs a ladder, leans in close to the canvas and creates the serene expressions of the pictured saints.
For her, painting is not simply art — it is prayer, an offering of love for her faith and her parish family.
As Olathe parishioners prepare to move into their long-awaited new church, Walker is contributing a very special gift: hand-painted portraits of two saints who are important to the parish. St. Paul and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne will soon find a home on the church walls and will be a reminder that holiness is alive among us.
“St. Paul is our patron saint. We are the only parish in the archdiocese named after him,” said pastor Father Michael Hermes. “St. Rose Philippine Duchesne is important to us because she lived in our archdiocese at the Sugar Creek Mission in Linn County. Members of St. Paul Parish have made multiple visits over the years to the shrine and to Sacred Heart Church in Mound City. We have asked her to be an intercessor for both the St. Paul School and St. Paul Church capital campaigns and construction projects.”
For Walker, these portraits are both a labor of love and an act of faith. Her thoughtfully planned and carefully painted brushstrokes are guided by skill and by prayer.
“Before I start,” she explained, “I pray. My sister told me if you are working on spiritual art and you ask God for help, he’ll send a special angel to help. I am always asking for her to come help.”
Art has long been part of Walker’s life, but faith has given it deeper meaning. Before she began painting saints, she was drawn to still life and landscapes. Now her interest is in the quiet faces of saints and their stories of courage and grace.
When the parish announced plans for the new church, she began to pray about how she might contribute. She realized she could offer color and light through art.
Walker started her projects by researching each saint’s life and thinking about his or her virtues.
Beginning each painting session with prayer, she paints when the light is best and often listens to music as she paints. Using top-quality acrylic paints and linen canvas, she pays reverent attention to detail such as the folds of a robe or the look of calm in the eyes — even the rock where St. Rose prayed.
“My hope is that these portraits evangelize and that people will come closer to knowing the saints,” she said.
As the portraits and construction of the church progress, excitement is growing within the parish. Associate pastor Father Agustin Martinez explained that for years, the parishioners have prayed, waited and sacrificed for a new spiritual home.
“We invited everyone to take part in building it — whether through large contributions or small offerings,” he said. “A church building, at its best, helps us pray, to lift our minds and hearts to God. Every detail — the art, the architecture, the light — is meant to draw us closer to him.”
A few months ago, the parish was presented with two renderings by Walker of St. Paul. Each portrayed the saint at very different stages of his spiritual journey — one as a young man and one later in his life.
Parishioners voted, and now excitedly await discovering which became the final portrait when the church is dedicated in the fall of 2026.
“St. Paul will be featured multiple times in the new church: a mosaic on the facade, the painting by Walker in the sanctuary, a statue of him in the narthex and in 24 stained-glass windows describing his life and ministry,” Father Hermes said. “The portrait of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne will be displayed in the east transept.”
Walker also serves on the interior design committee and has been the liaison with the artists who are providing other Catholic art for the new church. All who enter the new church will be greeted by this visual litany. Walker is humbled to know that her work will be part of people’s prayer for years to come.
And as the new walls of St. Paul Church rise, these portraits will help the space come alive — bringing light, love and the quiet presence of those who have gone before us in faith.
