by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
JEFFERSON CITY — Walking through the Cathedral of St. Joseph here is a treat for sacred art enthusiasts.
“We have classical elements, we have traditional medieval-type elements and we have contemporary elements,” said Archbishop Shawn McKnight.
Archbishop McKnight played a key role in renovating the cathedral during his time as bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City, and the art inside tells a story of the Gospel and the lives of various saints.
“It speaks of our faith,” he said. “That’s one element that I wanted, is that it be catechetical. It actually teaches [people] coming in and viewing the various pieces of art.”
Archbishop McKnight believes art can deepen the faith lives of all people, but especially youth.
“The surveys are telling us that they’re not led by doctrine,” he said. “But what attracts them to the church and continuing participation in the church are service and beauty.”
Because the United States is still a relatively young country, said Archbishop McKnight, Catholics are still making their mark on the Catholic Church here.
“We are starting to etch into the very walls of our churches the devotion and the faith of the people today,” he said.
Sacred art, saints and devotions have guided Archbishop McKnight’s own spiritual life.
As the oldest of eight children, he feels particularly close to his patron, St. Peter.
“I have a strong connection with him because, like the older brother in the family, he’s got responsibility for everybody, but he’s not perfect either,” he said.
The archbishop looks up to St. Paul, who was “a persecutor of the church and ends up being one of the greatest preachers and leaders in the faith.”
He’s also struck by the simple life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
“She was so young,” he said, “and how much life she lived in that short span of years and cloistered in a monastery — it’s just incredible.”
Two men on the road to sainthood are also close to his heart.
Venerable Father Emil Kapaun, from his own hometown of Wichita, who died in a prisoner of war camp during the Korean War, is a model of resilience, he said.
And Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, who was born into slavery in Tolton, Missouri, which is located in the Diocese of Jefferson City, was the first Black Catholic priest in the United States. The diocese is currently promoting his cause for sainthood.
The archbishop has multiple favorite devotions, key among them being eucharistic adoration.
“There’s something quiet, affirming, comforting [about it],” he said.
And he has a strong devotion to the rosary.
“The older I’ve got — I’m in my 57th year of life — that rosary is something I do every day,” he said. “It’s a staple of my spirituality.”
Archbishop McKnight was inspired when he heard one priest describe the rosary.
“When we pray the rosary and meditate on the mysteries of the rosary,” he said, “we’re spiritually crawling into the lap of our Mother and letting her tell the story of her Son.”
Archbishop McKnight is also drawn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
“I’ve always been influenced and fed by the devotion to the Sacred Heart,” he said, “the concept of God loving us with a human heart.
“God is willing to suffer for us because he loves us.”
Archbishop McKnight is also passionate about the church at the local parish level.
His view of the parish as a “place of mercy” and “center for charity” comes from Pope Francis’ 2013 apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”).
“How wonderful it would be if everybody in our community saw the local Catholic church as a place of refuge,” he said, “a place of oasis, a center for charity and a sanctuary of mercy.
“That anybody that needs help, needs healing, that their instinct would be to come to us — wouldn’t that be a great way to be known as a church?”
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