St. Mary Unveils Anniversary Mural At Saint Andrew School In Newtown

NEWTOWN, PA — A new mural is gracing the stairway at Saint Andrew Catholic School, a gift from St. Mary Medical Center in celebration of its 50th anniversary of serving the community.

Monsignor Michael Picard was on hand recently to bless the new artwork and to thank the medical center for the gift, which will inspire students, faculty, parents and visitors for generations to come.

“It’s a wonderful gift from St. Mary’s. I was excited to hear that they offered to do this. And when I saw it, I was amazed at how beautiful it is,” said Monsignor Picard.

The 10 foot by 10 foot mural, painted by renown Philadelphia muralist Jessica Jackson, resembles a stained glass window, its various panes depicting images in the life at the school.

“I chose to do stained glass because of the Catholic faith,” said Jackson, who used about 30 different containers of color to create the mural and to represent the diversity of the school. “I also wanted to show kids in their natural habitat - running, playing and learning. We have Mother Mary representing religion. And I wanted to include the hospital so there’s a caduceus.”

Artist Jessica Jackson next to her mural at Saint Andrew School in Newtown. (photo by Jeff Werner)

As she was designing the mural, Jackson said she was inspired by her former job as a surgical technician. “Because I worked in the healthcare field for 10 years, I know the impact that a good hospital plays in the community. So I wanted to have that imagery in this mural.”

At the center of the mural is a cross “signifying that God is in the middle of all of it - church, school and community,” she said.

St. Mary reached out to the school six months ago asking if it would be interested in partnering on a mural project. The answer was a quick yes from the school and from the parish.

“From there we scouted the school to find some spots and found one and we’re really excited about what it turned into,” said Principal Robert Sikora. “It’s bright. It’s vibrant. And the kids think it’s really cool.”

To give the kids a feeling of ownership in the project, the school organized a community paint day in which the kids colored and painted their own versions of what the mural could look like.

“The whole school paused for 45 minutes and just focused on art and creation,” said Sikora.

The mural is located at the bottom of the school’s front stairway, a heavily trafficked area before and after school with plenty of natural lighting to showcase the artwork.

“Every time our kids walk up and down the stairs it will be a reminder of our faith and all the different aspects that tie into our faith,” said Sikora. “There are also a lot of school-oriented scenes in the mural that hopefully will remind them that school is not just a math book and a math problem. It’s our faith. It’s recess. It’s our physical education classes. There are a lot of different parts that go into a great school.”

For St. Mary Medical Center it was a great way to celebrate its anniversary and to leave something behind for the present and future generations.

At the mural dedication are, from left, Monsignor Michael Picard, Principal Robert Sikora, artist Jessica Jackson and Michael Magro, the president of St. Mary Medical Center.

“As part of our celebration we wanted to beautify a public space,” said Michael Magro, the president of St. Mary Medical Center. “With so much shared history between Saint Andrew and St. Mary the school seemed a natural place to put it.”

With a location solidified, the medical center reached out to the Philadelphia Mural Arts Project and commissioned Jackson for the local mural.

“It looks fantastic,” said Magro of the finished mural. “I’m hoping this will provide them with warmth and energy. The world can be a tough place. I also hope it brings positivity and great vibes. I hope too that they understand that St. Mary Medical Center is here for them.“