St. Mary Magdalene of Flint adds timeless beauty and build to newest parish church

Published 5:40 am Sunday, May 7, 2023

Inside St. Mary Magdalene’s newest church in Flint, you can hear pencils sketching in a quiet echo throughout the Roman-inspired nave. You can see the sun illuminate the newly installed stained glass windows, showcasing the various icons and saints mentioned in the Holy Bible.

On the ceiling, above the sanctuary, is a dome with a masterful art done by world-renowned muralist Ruslana Makarenko of Ecclesiastical Art & Design.

“Her work has been marvelous,” said Father James Rowland, pastor for St. Mary Magdalene. “I always wanted a mural up there; there was always going to be a mural up there and everything I’ve seen from her thus far has been nothing short of amazing.”

With no pews to face an awaiting priest just yet, two artists focus on the house of God masked as their canvas. In careful precision, Ruslana brings her ecclesiastical sketches to life with an acrylic paint brush dipped in gold paint.

“This is a sacred space… God’s space and it’s God’s work,” Ruslana said. “This is a place for people to pray.”

She and her team have spent many hours perfecting the art on the ceiling. For Ruslana, the grueling part of the project was spent lying on her back on top of the adjustable scaffolding painting the intricate details of the gold stars and crosses among the sky blue dome.

St. Mary’s former priest, Father Tim Kelly, came up with the idea of building the church from the ground up, and eventually Father Rowland took over the church and oversaw the progression of the build.

According to Father Rowland, the old parish church had simply outgrown a growing flock, seating a little over 200 people; however, the new building is expected to hold more than twice that.

“A parish church is a church that is exclusively for the celebration of parish liturgy for religious events so it’s not a multipurpose building,” Father Rowland said.

The newly built parish church has an architectural style based on churches in ancient Rome from over 200 years ago.

“When we do something in dedication to God, it should look like we put all of our heart into it,” Father Rowland said. “The purpose of the parish church is to give glory and praise to God. It needs to look like the most important thing.”

According to parishioner Teresa Farish, Father Tim Kelly was the one who started the plans to build the church several years ago but between East Texas weather and the pandemic shutdown, the progress came slowly.

“But we aren’t in a hurry… it’s really in God’s hands,” Farish said. “Just know this has been a work in progress.”

Farish has been the unofficial go-to person for the new church since its conception.

“Through donations from parishioners, and fundraisers, the church has really come a long way,” she said.

In addition to original and historic beauty, the new building will not only offer space to hold more members, but there will be better central air and heating, classroom spaces and a bigger congregation area.

In addition to Ruslana’s Ecclesiastical designs, there will also be handmade marble altar and ambo with the newly restored crucifix, as well as late 1800s baptismal font mosaiced by local artist Cassie Edmonds.

It was Father Rowland who sought out Ecclesiastical Art & Design by reaching out through their website.

“He was the one who took the final steps, the final design with all of this… especially since there was no construction going on because of COVID,” Farish said.

Between the research and the sketches, ultimately, Father Rowland and Ruslana and her team were able to create designs befitting the church.

Such design included the hand of God, the descending dove and creating the Holy Trinity for the dome ceiling.

“The way Father Rowland came up with the theology of the theme came with the idea of installing the crucifix… which goes with our design of the hand of God and the holy spirit,” Ruslana said.

After the completion of the mural, Ruslana and her team worked on the next design work, which was traditional Latin liturgical rites: “Ecce Agnus Dei Qui Tollit Peccata.” Derived from John 1:29, it is translated into English as “Behold the lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world” from John 1:29.

With more than 150 churches in their repertoire — from all over the United States, Canada and Australia — Ecclesiastical Art & Design has been bringing beauty and heritage to churches and sacred spaces for over 50 years.

Originally known as Makarenko Studios, Inc., the multi-generational family business got its start in Philadelphia in the late 1950s, envisioned by Ruslana’s grandfather, Boris Makarenko. By 1976, it was officially co-founded by Boris and his son, Sviatoslav, who taught and trained his four children — Rostyslav, Vsevolod, Boyan and Ruslana — in ecclesiastical art. She recalls her mother bringing her and her siblings to the studio and observing her father and grandfather.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize how much you actually absorb in just watching someone… and facilitates in developing that skillset,” Ruslana said. “Just sitting in the studio just watching how my father and grandfather would hold a paintbrush, how they would carry their art on the shoulder and it all leads to learning how to do it.”

By the time she was eight years old, Ruslana was learning the art of gold leafing, a process that is made by beating real gold into thin sheets for gilding ornaments.

Currently, Ruslana runs Ecclesiastical Art & Design with her father and grandfather, where their services range from interior design and restoration to stained glass, mosaic, iconography, murals and much more.

“To me, the point of iconography is that it’s not meant to be viewed as a museum piece or a gallery piece, it’s to facilitate people in prayer,” Ruslana said. “You’re supposed to absorb it into your retrospective thought in prayer and become one with the church.”

As many places as Ruslana has traveled, she has grown a fondness for the Lone Star State, particularly East Texas during her time here. Largely due to good ol’ southern hospitality.

“Everyone here has been so nice and friendly,” she said. “And it has been really easy working with the construction. Usually, things are a little chaotic if we’re having to work while churches are still building but here, they’ve just let us do what we need to… everyone has been very accommodating.”

Ruslana and her team personalized their work in every church and sacred space to make whatever is suitable but they never repeat their work.

“There are going to be some similarities because there are so many icons and figures that are significant and sacred but we look for ways to change something so that it fits,” Ruslana said.

Still a ways to go, Ruslana and her team took a much-needed break by going back home while St. Mary Magdalene had an open house and dedication. They will be back to finish the mural of New Eden behind the altar, which will take about two weeks to complete.

“We’re incorporating Texas wildflowers in our (New Eden) design because all of our design work is original… and you’ll never see this design in another church exactly like they are here,” Ruslana said.

To embody the story of New Eden, there will be a trunk from the Tree of Life, 12 doves to symbolize the 12 apostles of Christ and vines with flowers and fruit, including grapes in a eucharist.

“This is truly a home for all of God’s people,” Farish said. “The work Ruslana and her team has done has been truly amazing. The tradition of what they do, the tradition of being a family company… their appreciation of the sacred, of the church and the Bible, they really made it a place to pray and to feel God’s love.”