Something remarkable is happening in the Church today. It’s something so many people have hoped and prayed for.
In a previous article I wrote, following the recent Vatican’s removal of Marko Rupnik’s art from its official website, I expressed gratitude for that small but significant step. I also called out the reality that too often, the Church tries to erase the name of the abuser while preserving the prestige of his work, as though separating the two makes the wound disappear. It doesn’t. As I wrote, “You don’t get to erase the name of the abuser and keep the art. That’s not healing nor is it justice. It’s complicity.”
Many survivors have also advocated for this: that survivors themselves be invited to create the sacred art that replaces Rupnik’s mosaics. We now know that many of his pieces were created with the suffering of his victims.
Thanks be to God, this vision is becoming a reality.
Led by hermit mosaic artist Sister Samuelle, a group of nuns and former nuns who have survived spiritual and sexual abuse are creating a monumental 50-square-meter mosaic titled Rebirth. This work, composed of thousands of handmade tesserae, is more than a piece of artwork. It is a living witness to truth, healing, and resurrection. It is a work of courage, crafted from pain and full of beauty and hope.
Rebirth will first be displayed in its entirety in France. Then, in a richly symbolic act, it will be carefully broken into 200 fragments and distributed to sacred spaces around the world many of which currently house Rupnik’s mosaics. Each fragment will include a QR code that allows visitors to view the entire work, listen to survivor stories, and learn about the deeper message behind the art.
Bearing Witness to the Truth
This is about reclaiming sacred ground, telling the truth, overcoming silence, and honoring the wounded with dignity and not denial. Rebirth is about offering survivors the chance to create, not from what was taken, but from what God has restored.
As I previously stated, “Let us be Catholics who bear witness to the truth.” What Sister Samuelle and her collaborators are doing is a beautifully bold act of witness. It is the fruit of what happens when we refuse to give up. This is what can happen when we pray, allow God to take the lead, speak out, share stories, and believe that the Church can and must do better.
Their work is a testimony not only to survival, but to rebirth (the name for this piece of art is perfect). For Christians, healing is not just about surviving. It is about being made new. Remember that Christ rose with his wounds, not without them. So too survivors can offer us a glimpse of resurrection. Beauty does not deny pain. Rather, beauty shines through pain.
To those involved in this initiative, I say: thank you. Your bravery is changing the Church. Your voices are no longer hidden in the cracks of the walls. They are becoming the very mosaic that covers them.
Wherever you are in your own healing journey, I want to motivate you to be a voice for truth, a companion to the wounded, and a witness to the transforming power of God’s unfailing grace. Whether you create, donate, share, lead by example, or simply pray, you are part of the Church’s restoration.
Let us build a Church where rebirth is not just a project but a way of life.
Support Rebirth
If you’d like to support Rebirth, learn more, or contribute to the global campaign, you can do so through the Proarti platform.
Let’s stand with those who are healing the Church from within!
