CUDAHY — As people from near and far celebrate Easter Sunday, St. John Lutheran Church in Cudahy is telling the story of Jesus through art.
A mural project to transform and add new life to the church's walls comes as it celebrates 120 years.
Watch: As a Cudahy church celebrates 120 years, one member is using art to tell the story of Jesus on its walls.
For member and artist Donna Polzin, drawing has always been a passion, with her taking art classes at Cudahy High School. Now, she is rediscovering that passion, using it to bring her faith to life and give back to her church community.
"The walls were so bland and plain white that I really wanted to bring color into the church," Polzin said.
That is how the idea for a mural was born.
"They just surprise you with an idea and say hey what would you think if we did this and I said sure do what you want to do just let me know what the plan is," Pastor Phillip DeVries said.
Each mural is different, but together they tell the story of Jesus.
"We started here, of course in the beginning God created Heaven and the Earth," Polzin said.
"My last one is our Easter Story," Polzin added.
Polzin began the first mural at the end of July last year, using only thin brushes on rough walls. She said each mural took about two to three weeks. After taking time off to recover from major surgery, she returned and finished the final piece just a week and a half ago.
"We weren’t sure if it was going to work out timing wise but it worked out perfectly," DeVries said.
The murals are not just for Sunday service. They are located inside the daycare, helping even the youngest members understand the story.
"It gives you more of a picture than just someone talking to you, especially when you’re three," DeVries said.
Over time, the church has watched the space and the story come to life.
"It’s just so nice to see the development over time. And this is one of those acts of service that hopefully lasts for years and years to come," DeVries said.
While a picture is worth a thousand words, those words mean something different to everyone. For some, it feels like comfort. For others, it is seeing their faith come to life.
"Everybody reacts differently to it. I’m emotional, it’s one of my best pieces," Polzin said.
With more blank walls still waiting, the story is far from finished.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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