Loyal Son

On October 2, 1979, two of Christianity’s best-known media celebrities, Pope St. John Paul II and Ven. Fulton Sheen, met during a papal audience in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The pope approached the ailing Sheen, embraced him, and, as the news cameras rolled, exclaimed, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church.” Sheen died two months later.

In 2025, George and Polly were commissioned to create an original portrayal of this remarkable moment. The resulting depiction is based loosely on film footage, including details of the clothing and episcopal accoutrements worn by the prelates on the occasion. Nevertheless, the solid background and dramatic lighting abstract the scene from its historical context, focusing attention on the spiritual significance of this intimate and emotionally-charged encounter between two giants of the twentieth-century Church.