The painting of the Immaculate Conception by Johann Schmitt, which is displayed in its original home at Immaculate Conception Parish in Hawesville, is seen after it was recently restored. COURTESY OF NEENA GAYNOR
Reintroducing history: Immaculate Conception painting restored, celebrated, at Hawesville parish
BY NEENA GAYNOR, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 22, Bishop William F. Medley joined Fr. Terry Devine and the parishioners of Immaculate Conception in Hawesville (Hancock County) to celebrate holy Mass and the reintroduction of a remarkable piece of history: “The Immaculate Conception” by Johann Schmitt.
Schmitt was a devout German immigrant artist who helped shape Catholic art in the American Midwest. He painted this particular piece around 1865 as a visual hymn to Mary’s purity and role in God’s plan.
In the painting, Mary stands on a cloud, robed in white and blue: colors symbolizing her purity and closeness to the divine. A crown of twelve stars encircles her head, echoing the imagery from Revelation 12. She’s surrounded by golden light and cherub angels that invite contemplation. Schmitt modeled this piece after Murillo’s famous Spanish version, but infused it with his own quiet reverence.
At the beginning of this year, the parish community was approached with a fundraising goal of $25,000. Within a couple weeks, the generous community of Immaculate Conception had met and exceeded its goal by almost double.
The restoration project included refiguring the existing mantlepiece which housed the crucifix and a curtain that had hidden the painting for over fifty years. The mantlepiece was reworked, the wall repaired, and the crucifix suspended to be front and foremost in our worship space by Ricky Johnson and CTR Homes. Wiebold Studio of Cincinnati came in February 2025 to remove the painting, take it back to their studio, restore it to its original beauty, and frame it.
Some may say that the painting is obscured by the crucifix as they walk down the middle aisle of the church. We ask you to prayerfully sit down in a pew, and like Mother Mary, ponder all these things in your heart. Wherever you sit in the beautiful parish, Mary is at the foot of the cross. Right where she’d want to be, and right where she was originally intended to be since the church’s construction in 1959.
This painting is not only a testament to artistic devotion – it’s a beacon of enduring faith, tucked away and rediscovered at just the right moment. It’s a gift to be cherished, a reminder of the past, and how easy it is to lose appreciation for what one has.
Neena Gaynor serves as the director of adult ministry for Immaculate Conception Parish in Hawesville and St. Columba Parish in Lewisport.
Originally printed in the August 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
