OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH.
Two painted angels and a grotto created by Javier Rocabado for the altar of one of Colusa's oldest and most beloved sacred spaces.
SEE THE
SANCTUARY.
The painted angels, Lourdes grotto and their relationship to the church's historic altar, stained glass and architecture.
PAINTING FOR
A SACRED SPACE.
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Colusa commissioned Javier Rocabado to paint two angels and a grotto for the church altar. The work was conceived not as an independent canvas but as part of an existing devotional environment — one already shaped by the church's pointed arches, stained glass, statues, crucifix and historic sanctuary.
In the completed interior, Javier's paintings occupy prominent vertical fields around the altar. The two angels flank the sanctuary while the grotto imagery connects directly to the identity of the parish and its patroness, Our Lady of Lourdes.
That architectural relationship changes the role of the painting. The work is viewed from across the nave, during worship, in changing natural and artificial light, and in dialogue with imagery that has accumulated in the church over generations.
ANGELS.
GROTTO. LIGHT.
TWO ANGELS
Javier's paired angel figures occupy the tall fields on either side of the sanctuary, creating visual balance around the altar.
THE GROTTO
The rocky grotto image echoes the devotional tradition associated with Our Lady of Lourdes and visually reinforces the parish's patronal identity.
THE ALTAR
The paintings were designed to be read at architectural scale, surrounding rather than competing with the crucifix and liturgical center of the church.
THE SETTING
Stained glass, dark timber, sculptural ornament and historic architectural details give the paintings a richly layered visual context.
In its own history, Our Lady of Lourdes describes the grotto dedicated to its patroness as one of the church's especially beloved features. Javier's commission therefore enters an existing devotional tradition rather than introducing an unrelated motif.
The parish says the present Our Lady of Lourdes church was completed in 1881 and celebrated its first Mass on Easter Sunday.
ROOTED IN
COLUSA.
Catholic history in the Colusa area reaches back to 1864, when the parish records the first Mass being celebrated in an open field on Grand Island.
A modest church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception was built in Colusa in 1868. As the congregation grew, plans moved forward for a larger church. Parish history places the cornerstone of the new building around 1880, with Bishop O'Connell presiding at its dedication.
The present Our Lady of Lourdes church was completed in 1881. More than a century later, Javier's altar paintings became another layer in that evolving visual and devotional history.
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
345 OAK STREET
OLD WALLS.
NEW LAYERS.
The Diocese of Sacramento records an important preservation chapter in the building's history. During Father Charles Brady's time as pastor, efforts were made to renovate rather than replace the old church, and the Diocese states that the building was subsequently designated a historical building by the State of California.
Additional historical documentation notes a significant renovation and restoration campaign in 2003–2004. The City of Colusa also continues to list Our Lady of Lourdes Church among the historically significant properties within the city.
Javier's altar commission belongs within that preservation story. His paintings add contemporary work to a historic interior while respecting the architectural and devotional character that the parish has worked to preserve.
EXPLORE THE
HISTORY.
The church's own history, from the first Mass in 1864 through the present Our Lady of Lourdes building and its beloved grotto.
READ ↗ 02 OUR LADY OF LOURDESOfficial parish site, current community information and the church's mission.
VISIT ↗ 03 DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTOOfficial diocesan parish listing for Our Lady of Lourdes in Colusa.
VISIT ↗ 04 HISTORIC DESIGNATIONDiocesan history documenting preservation efforts and the church's designation as a California historical building.
READ ↗ 05 HISTORICAL MARKERAdditional documentation of the church's early construction and its 2003–2004 restoration.
EXPLORE ↗ 06 ALTAR / ART + ENVIRONMENTThe parish's current page for the ministry connected with the altar, art and liturgical environment.
VISIT ↗