LIFE'S CENTER - THE EUCHARIST

The 12-foot hand-woven tapestry made for Blessed Sacrament Church in Valley Stream, NY

-- by Sister Bianca Haglich

I selected the Finnish weaving technique called "Kuultokudos", which is worked entirely in linen and has a transparent or open and closed weave. This 12-foot piece was easier to weave because of my experience in creating a 21-foot hanging for the Mother House of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Béziers, France.

The piece progressed slowly, depending on how complicated the shapes and forms were... The first time I saw it vertically was when Fred and Roseann Potter installed it in its place in the Church. It stands out 1-1/2 inches from the wall allowing the transparency and/or openness to be experienced.

Our journey starts at the bottom of the piece. The fish represent us as Christians swimming through life's waters. The altar is the Church. The wheat, grapes, chalice and the Bread of Life synbolize Christ. As members of His Body, we go forth into the world, which is represented by the rays that flow from the center.