Catich Christmas Card Philosophy

The Art Legacy League is for the second time offering fine art reproductions of work created by Father Catich on Christmas Cards. Each of the 4 different boxed sets contains 10 cards each of two different designs and envelopes. These sets can be ordered from our secure Online Shop here on our website. This image shows the designs for Set 1 of the cards.

If you have questions, email our Christmas Card Chairman, Paul Herrera, by clicking on his name, PAUL HERRERA

Below is Father's Christmas card philosophy that was published in the 1945 Christmas issue of the Catholic Art Quarterly. He mentions Fr. Laffey who was the Chaplain at Mooseheart before young Ed Catich graduated and eventually went on to the priesthood.

"Ever since my apprenticeship as a sign-painter I have been making Christmas cards, not only for myself but for others. Christmas cards have been very good to me for I recall that three years’ tuition at art school was paid for out of my Christmas-card revenue. My early notions of designing Christmas cards were not clear for I remember that I made any design suggested by the client, even such things as family-silhouettes, front porches, musicians, etc. My designing was clarified considerably by Father John Laffey of Mooseheart, Illinois, who admonished me for secularizing a sacred concept. In effect he said, 'Few love the stable and the straw which Christ chose for himself on that first Night.' This cogent thought made me aware that the only correct Christmas-card designs are those designs which deal ,directly with the Holy Nativity. Since then I have made only Christian Christmas cards."

Father Catich