Southern Nebraska Register
Some date the tradition of the paschal candle to the second and third centuries, making it an ancient and foundational tradition in the liturgical life of the Church.
But a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln has noticed, over the last few years, a renewing of the tradition taking shape.
“Lamps have been used liturgically since the time of the Holy of Holies in the Old Testament,” said Father Liam O’Shea-Creal, assistant pastor at North American Martyrs Parish in Lincoln. “They have served as practical lighting, but more deeply, as signs of the light of God’s abiding presence in creation. Further in the New Covenant, as Christians, the candle is declared as the ‘Light of Christ,’ dispelling the darkness of sin and death through His Resurrection.”
Mass-produced candles are a rather modern phenomenon, he explained, so handmade candles were the norm for most of Church history. Today, most candles in churches are professionally manufactured. Father O’Shea-Creal recalled he was a seminarian when he first saw a hand-painted Paschal candle, at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln.
“As we were practicing for the Easter Vigil,” he recalled, “Vicky Sohl walked in and humbly presented her beautiful work, and let me say, it was beautiful!”
Sohl has been the artist behind the Easter candle at the Cathedral since 2021.
A few years later, as a newly ordained priest, Father O’Shea-Creal was assigned to St. Michael Parish in Hastings, and to teach at St. Cecilia High School. One day in the school’s art classroom, he saw a student, Emi Cerny, working on a design that included the cross, some numbers, and the Alpha and Omega – elements that are essential to the design of a Paschal candle. Father O’Shea-Creal asked about the project, and Cerny and the teacher said they were “brainstorming” for the design to be painted on St. Cecilia’s Paschal candle.
“I was very excited to see the tradition continue,” he said. “Emi is an incredible painter and provided two gorgeous candles to St. Cecilia.”
This year, another student at St. Cecilia – Evelyn Gaunt – is taking on the project, and Father O’Shea-Creal said he was certain it will turn out as beautifully as the others.
Father Craig Clinch is the current pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Hastings, and he said he first sought out hand-painted candles when he was pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Tecumseh. There, the painting of Paschal candles was a project handled for several years by Carrie Wusk and her daughters Kaity and Calle. So, when he moved to Hastings, he wanted to continue the tradition of involving artists from his new parish.
The tradition continues to unfold in Lincoln this year. Father O’Shea-Creal now serves as assistant pastor at North American Martyrs Parish in Lincoln, and teaches senior theology at Pius X High School.
“During my first few days in class,” he said, “two students asked me if I liked burning candles. I said I did, and, lo and behold, the next day I had a bag of candles!
“I told them I couldn’t have them buying me candles,” he continued, “but they responded, saying they did not buy them, they made them! In fact, they make candles and sell them as Wick and Wax of Lincoln.”
This sparked the idea of having not only a hand-painted Pashal candle, but also a handcrafted candle, too. The boys – Drew Hughes of St. Peter Parish and Stephen Miriovsky of North American Martyrs – started their small company during the summer of 2024. They make their own candles, available in a variety of different scents, and small car diffusers, as well.
Late last year, they started making St. Michael the Archangel candles from recyled altar wax – the unused portion of altar candles. This inspired Father O’Shea-Creal to invite the young men to make a Paschal candle for Easter.
“Once I gave them the dimensions of our candle, and our Paschal candles from years past, they were ready and eager to get to work,” Father O’Shea-Creal said. They melted the unused portion of the candles, and poured the wax into a mold they made.
After the new candle solidified, another Pius student and member of North American Martyrs was tapped as the artist. Drew Sousek, a classmate of Drew Hughes and Stephen, enjoys painting and even shares her prints online.
Father O’Shea-Crea worked with her to combine the essential aspects of the Easter candle: the cross, the year, and the Alpha and Omega, with some symbolic themes from the parish and its patrons.
“This year, our candle is decorated with palms as a symbol of our patrons’ martyrdom, lilies as a symbol of St. Kateri, the Lily of the Mohawks, feathers as the symbol of the high honor due to those who wear them, and the high honor, or worship, due to Jesus whom the candle symbolizes, and finally the Lamb of God, whose feast we are all invited to through our baptism into his Church.
“This whole process has brought me new excitement about the centrality of the Easter candle in the Easter Vigil,” he added. “I can’t wait to pray with it as it enlightens our Church!”
Father O’Shea-Creal noted there are many more individuals across the diocese who have ornamented sanctuaries through the work of their hands, “and for that I am grateful!”
“As the Easter Vigil draws near; as priests and deacons prepare their homilies; as choirs and cantors prepare to intone the solemn liturgical chants; it is neat to know that other artists are placing the final touches on our parishes’ Paschal candles,” he said. “This Easter, let us all foster a new appreciation for the works of our fellow Christians’ hands, and by them be led deeper into the fruits of the Paschal Mystery, the work of our Father’s saving hand.”
