Scott McKinstry and Bruce Fowler worked thousands of hours over several years on the concept and design of a mural depicting the victory of good over evil. The Archbishop of San Francisco unveiled the mural after he delivered Christmas Eve Mass to a congregation of San Quentin prisoners and dozens of Bay Area community members.
“It’s based on Chapter 12 of Revelation,” said the prison’s Catholic Chaplain, Father George Williams, who also participated in the mass. “It reminds us of the struggles we undergo every day between good and evil. It encourages us to not give up.”
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone delivered a sermon about rejoicing in gift giving during the holidays.
Gift giving for a believer is a humbling experience that brings joyfulness, Cordileone said. Humility with charity brings us all closer to what God wants out of us, the Archbishop told the more than 200 men and women in the pews.
Cordileone’s sermon centered on God’s love for Man and the importance of Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone delivering a sermon
“There is a greater gift given to us, the gift of his son,” Cordileone said. “God formed us as a people through Abraham, then gave us the land of milk and honey and gave us laws to share his wisdom.”
Cordileone’s sermon asserted the infidelity of man interfered with obeying God’s laws, which squandered his gifts.
“So, he sent his messiah…his very own son,” Cordileone’s said, fulfilling the Christmas story.
It was the first time Brittney S. had set foot inside a prison.
“Never take life for granted; everybody has worth,” the University of Southern California sociology major said about how she viewed the incarcerated men she sat with. Brittney S. said she is interested in learning how prisons in California operate, particularly Death Row.
Prisoner Michael Adams said the Archbishop’s sermon gave him a better understanding of the Christmas story and what the artwork depicted in the mural.
