In the underground halls of St. Florian’s Cathedral in Warsaw’s Praga district, the latest exhibition of the series “Repainting Catholicism” is now open to the public. The show presents twenty contemporary interpretations of the Nativity, the central theme of this year’s edition. The initiative attracts both art enthusiasts and those seeking a moment of spiritual pause.

A return to the roots of art

The fourth edition of “Repainting Catholicism” focuses on the mystery of Christmas. The exhibition features works by, among others, Jarosław Modzelewski, Ignacy Czwartos, Beata Stankiewicz, Bogna Podbielska, Grzegorz Wnęk, and Karolina Żądło. According to curator Dariusz Karłowicz of Teologia Polityczna, the idea of renewing Catholic art is gaining ground year after year.

Designed as a 21-year project, the initiative aims to revive the declining tradition of Western sacred painting and to renew artistic patronage. “The number of beautiful paintings is growing, the list of cities hosting our exhibitions is growing, and so is the circle of collaborators and friends,” Karłowicz said at the opening of the fourth edition, launched three years ago. The project aims to illustrate all twenty mysteries of the Rosary. So far, fifty paintings have been completed, including works depicting the Merciful Jesus, the Annunciation, and the Visitation to Saint Elizabeth.

Spirituality and culture

The artists say this project confronts the commercialization of Christmas and encourages deeper spiritual reflection. “This feast is overwhelmed by commercial noise—chaos, kitsch, a kind of sugary artificiality. The question is: how do you break through all of that? Where do you find a gateway to reach the essence? That was a major challenge,” says Jarosław Modzelewski.
He adds that the decisive inspiration came during a long wait in the emergency room of a children’s hospital. “That experience showed me the way. Christmas is motherhood and fatherhood — a child and its parents. Beyond the theological message, what we see is simply a mother, a father, and a child in the most basic sense.”

Beata Stankiewicz explains she did not initially realise her work would echo Saint Bridget’s vision. „Before I even imagined painting sacred art, I thought that if I ever depicted the Nativity, I would place Jesus directly on the ground. Only later did I learn that placing the Child on the ground is part of Saint Bridget’s vision, popular in the 14th and 15th centuries—my favourite artistic period.” She adds: „Since the Nativity is a fundamental mystery of the Rosary, the palette also had to be essential and dominated by white.”

Accompanying events

The exhibition features a catalogue, an online gallery, a film, and a 2026 calendar. On 27 November, Fr. Waldemar Chrostowski, professor and top biblical scholar in Poland, lectured on the theological depth of Christ’s Birth. He discussed the iconography and interpretations of the Nativity scene across centuries.

The exhibition is open until 15 January 2026 in the underground halls of St. Florian’s Cathedral (3 Floriańska Street). Admission is free.

Photos of the paintings: Marek Gardulski

Jacek Hajnos OP, „Boże Narodzenie”

Family News Service