As part of the Jubilee for the 350th anniversary of the Apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Paray-le-Monial
A CALL FOR ARTISTIC PROJECTS AND A PHOTO CONTEST!
To commemorate the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary in Paray-le-Monial, a Jubilee will take place from Wednesday, December 27, 2023, the anniversary of the first main apparition, to June 27, 2025, the date of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. “Returning love for love” will be the theme of this great moment of pilgrimage, liturgies and encounters. In the deployment of this multifaceted spiritual sending, a call for artistic projects and a photo contest are now being launched by the Shrine.
The call for artistic projects
In fact, the Jubilee, a propitious time to renew one’s faith, is also intended to be a magnificent opportunity to renew the image of the Sacred Heart, as well as the representations of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, in the field of art, through sculpture and painting, as well as mosaic, the dimension of which is so present in Paray-le-Monial through its historical production workshops. This call for projects also concerns the creation of a musical composition for the liturgy.
The Photo Contest
The photo contest invites us to approach, with a new perspective, the emblematic sites of the Shrine, those places where pilgrims from all over the world come to pray, in order to place their hearts in the merciful heart of Jesus.
To compete
All the necessary details explaining the terms and conditions of the call for artistic projects and the photo contest are gathered in the two regulations corresponding to each of these two approaches. You will find these regulations attached. They are online and can be downloaded from the websites of the Shrine and the Diocese of Autun.
The Church Loves Artists
The organizers of this twofold initiative, following in the footsteps of the Popes and St. John Paul II, who came to Paray in October 1986, are pleased to address “all those who, with passionate dedication, seek new ‘epiphanies’ of beauty to give to the world in artistic creation” (John Paul II. Letter to the Artists. 4 April 1999). They are convinced that “every authentic artistic intuition goes beyond what the senses perceive and, by penetrating reality, strives to interpret its hidden mystery” (Ibid. ยง 6). They hope that these calls for projects will be heard, because, more than ever, “this world in which we live needs beauty so as not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, is that which brings joy to the hearts of men, it is that precious fruit which resists the wear and tear of time, which unites generations and makes them communicate in admiration” (Second Vatican Council. Message to artists. December 8, 1965).
Dear artists, “The Church has long made a covenant with you”. Today you renew this request for the Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Paray-le-Monial. Don’t hesitate to grab it!
Timeline
CALL FOR ARTISTIC PROJECTS February
28, 2024 Deadline for submission of the application
file June 2024 Audition of the candidates by the jury
June 2025 Deadline for receipt of works June 27, 2025 Unveiling of the works
to the public
PHOTO CONTEST
From February 28, 2024 to February 28, 2025 Opening of the contest
Between March 1 and June 30, 2025
Jury
meeting From June 30, 2025 Public photo exhibition