“None can sense more deeply than you artists, ingenious creators of beauty that you are, something of the pathos with which God at the dawn of creation looked upon the work of His hands. A glimmer of that feeling has shone so often in your eyes when — like the artists of every age — captivated by the hidden power of sounds and words, colors and shapes, you have admired the work of your inspiration, sensing in it some echo of the mystery of creation with which God, the sole creator of all things, has wished in some way to associate you.”

These words open Pope St. John Paul II’s Letter to Artists. They are at once inspiring and a reminder of our obligation to use our God-given talents to share the Good News. Beauty is the artist’s vocation.

Since launching The Catholic Telegraph magazine in June 2020, reader response has been overwhelming. It’s natural for angry or upset readers to be vocal in their discontent, writing inflammatory letters and emails, but it takes special prompting to inspire a reader to send words of affirmation and appreciation. I’m incredibly grateful we have been inundated with the latter, while I do my best to meet the former with grace.

Of the positive reader feedback, I’ve noticed some words appear over and over again: appealing, relevant, beautiful, engaging, inspiring. Perhaps my favorite response is from those who say they now read The Catholic Telegraph “from cover to cover,” and then share it with friends and family.

Presenting interesting stories in a beautiful way has resonated with Catholics across Western and Southwestern Ohio. The magazine format has transformed our publication into an invitation for faith and growth. It’s humbling and awe- inspiring to witness evangelization at work.

This issue is dedicated to a topic near and dear to the CT staff: evangelizing through art and beauty. A topic, in fact, never far from our hearts and minds. Beauty comes in many forms – music, visual arts, writing and even in less tangible forms like wonder and love. This CT is a love letter to those who create for the greater glory of God, and to our Father, who “has wished in some way to associate” those gifts with His children.

Writing down the faith-filled stories of people in our archdiocese, taking photographs to match, laying out our magazine with great care and including meticulous, yet whimsical illustrations – in all we do, our goal for The Catholic Telegraph, and personally as Catholic creatives, is to radiate Christ’s love and the beauty of our Creator, inviting others to share in His love, too.

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