Catholic universities offer art as a way of addressing today’s problems

August 7, 2026 · 1 min read

An international initiative, Catholic Universities Art Triennial, brings together universities from around the world dedicated to exploring how art plays a role in addressing the most relevant issues in the world today.

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Source: Vatican News · Read the full story →

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Paul Smith

Interesting idea. Our parish youth group did a icon-writing workshop last winter and it really got everyone thinking about beauty and suffering in a hands-on way. Wonder if any Orthodox universities are part of this triennial.

Đorđe Simić

Interesting, thanks for the article. Paul mentioned icon painting, it reminded me of our parish workshop two years ago in Nis - we also dealt with suffering and beauty, but through wood and colors. I wonder if any of our Orthodox faculties, say from Belgrade or Thessaloniki, are included in that triennial.

Василь Олійник

An interesting initiative, especially how they take art to solve modern problems. Paul mentions icon-painting in your youth group, and last year, at a fishing trip, Uncle Vasyl from our parish showed how he himself paints icons on a tree after retirement - he also thought a lot about suffering and beauty. Are there Orthodox universities from Ukraine in this triennial, for example from Kyiv or Lviv?

Роман Богданов

An interesting idea with this triennial. In our Moscow parish, a couple of years ago, the priest organized a master class on icon painting for pensioners, I myself went, cut out a board and remembered how in my youth I worked with wood in the garden. It is a pity that Orthodox universities like ours from Moscow or Sergiev Posad seem to be aloof from this Catholic initiative.

Елена Илиевска

Interestingly, Catholic universities use art for current issues. Paul mentioned icon painting in the youth group, and I and my students in Bitola did a similar workshop for church holidays a few years ago - through the colors of the icons, the children understood the suffering of the saints better. I wonder if any of our faculties from Skopje or Ohrid are involved in that triennial.

Ondrej Novák

Our parish in Michalovce held a similar workshop with icons three years ago in the fall, mainly for pensioners. We sat by the wood, mixed colors and talked about how the icon carries both pain and hope, just like the boys from the youth group remember. I wonder if any Orthodox institute from Prešov or Athens also participated in the triennial.

Zuzana Nováková

You remember that workshop in Michalovce well, Ondrej, especially the moment with the wooden boards and paints that smell of oil. Our group in Svidník did something similar last spring, but with younger people - it was interesting how the icon helped them talk about loss in the family. Do you know if any of our Greek Catholic faculty from Prešov also participated in the triennial?

Наталія Коваль

It is interesting that after retirement, Uncle Vasyl took up icons on a tree - we also have a grandmother in the parish who embroiders icons and says that it is during work that she thinks best about suffering. As for the triennial, as far as I know, Ukrainian Orthodox universities are not represented there, at least I haven't heard from Kyiv or Lviv. Maybe we should offer it?

Marek Šimko

Yes, those wooden boards and the smell of oil always capture my heart, Ondrej described it nicely. In my opinion, our Greek Catholic theological faculty from Prešov has not yet joined the triennial, at least I didn't hear anything about it at the last church service. Zuzana, how did it turn out for the younger ones in Svidník, did the icon help them with ordinary everyday troubles, or especially with that loss?

Alžbeta Nováková

Marek, Ondrej really nailed it, those boards and oil catch me every time I go to the workshop. In my opinion, our Prešov Greek Catholic faculty has not really joined yet, at least I have not heard about it even in the church. Zuzana, what do you say, did the icon help the younger ones in Svidník with ordinary things like losing a job or arguments at home, or was it mainly with sadness?

Ивана Николовска

Elena, it's good that you mentioned your experience with the children in Bitola – through colors they really feel the suffering better. I, on the other hand, often notice in the choir that singing the irmos from the holidays helps people "see" the iconic scenes with their ears. Has anyone from our faculty in Skopje called about that triennial, or are they still silent?