New bishop to dedicate artwork in Jim Thorpe

The Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop of Allentown, who was installed this past summer as the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, will be at St. Joseph Church on North Street in Jim Thorpe for the 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday, Nov. 22.

At that Mass, the bishop will dedicate a magnificent work of religious art known as a "Triptych" which is a multi-panel painting that is framed in three sections with side panels that can be closed up like doors to cover the larger center panel during the Lenten season.

The artwork, entitled "The Emmaus Triptych", was painted by Lehigh Valley artist Dana Van Horn, who was commissioned in 2007 to complete the sacred work of art.

The center panel depicts the moment when the two disciples recognize their supper guest at Emmaus as Jesus. The left and right side panels each contain the images of two "contemporary" disciples of Christ.

The panel on the left side of the triptych is adorned with the images of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha and Blessed Sister Pauline Von Mallinckrodt and the right side panel bears the images of Servant of God Pope John Paul the Great and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

The artwork was started through a generous gift of the late Frances Lisella who wished to memorialize the deceased members of her family by donating the central panel of the painting and members and friends of the parish have been invited to make contributions to memorialize the two side panels of the artwork.

There will be a procession into the church before the mass which will be celebrated by Bishop Barres to dedicate the Emmaus Triptych and following the service their will be a reception for the bishop in the school cafeteria.

The dedication ceremony is open to the public and everyone is invited to attend.