From there, an image of a dove with an olive branch seemed natural. To the Abrahamic religions, the image brings to mind the flood and the reconciliation between God and mankind. To the unchurched, what is more hopeful than a bird building a nest? To Catholics, the dove is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit, as are wind, breath (ruach in Scripture) and light.

For many reasons, mosaic was chosen as the medium and artist Ryah Christensen in Austin was approached. With an idea of the subject matter, an artist and a rough budget, the parishioners approached Paulist Father Kuhlman and the administration and were received with open minds. Being good Catholics, a committee was quickly formed!

The design process then took on a life of its own. Peace was soon added to compliment hope. Handmade porcelain and stoneware clay tiles were chosen over traditional small square tesserae because it allowed freedom for the artist to create shapes and glazes as well as the ability to inscribe both words into the tiles in English, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic and Spanish. The gray bricks of the facade give way to the glazed tiles of the mosaic, so that the image seems to burst from the building. Soon, the idea of open hands either receiving or releasing the dove came up. The hands could represent either the parish community’s or God’s. Bright yellow and white light emanate from the dove, which is ringed with red flames. Smaller doves emerge from the dove's heart, animated by the ruach, carrying divine love and creative energy into the world.

This process took on an organic quality where ideas and thoughts were shared and respectfully received. Christensen took in, processed and reflected what she heard. It took 12 drawings to finally condense all the visions into a unified composition. Ultimately, the vision of the mosaic became alive, with God moving in and through it.

Commissioning original sacred art has many rewards, as the Catholic Church has recognized over the centuries. Art is about both what it says and how it says it. Beauty and truth can engage the soul in a deeper understanding of one’s faith by presenting it in different, even challenging ways. Visio Divina (using art as a source for meditation) can guide our spiritual evolution. It is interesting that from 50 parishioners asked, 38 names for the mosaic were proposed, with Esperanza winning out. That’s 38 epiphanies from one work of art.