For God So Loved the World Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Traditional Catholic art gains a compelling new medium in gallery wrap canvas. Canvases featuring this modern art trend combine special printing technology and the technical skill of our Steubenville craftsmen to carefully wrap and tuck the canvas around the back of a 3/4" thick engineered wood mount. This method creates an impressive visual display with a faux 3D effect as the image continues around all visible sides of the mount. The canvas is free of visible staples or tacks and stands alone with no need for a frame. Each canvas hangs with a wire in the back and has an attractive satin-matte finish.

Our gallery wrapped canvas depicts one of our most beloved images: For God So Loved the World. The 18th century original escaped destruction, which was in a centuries-old church slated for demolition. A priest from Michigan saved it from its certain ruin and brought it to the United States, where it became a family heirloom for a young Catholic doctor and his family. As far as we can tell, the original was painted in the 1700's by an unknown artist. The Latin inscription at the bottom reads, "Sic Deus Dilexit Mundum," and is translated, "For God So Loved the World" (John 3:16). This beautiful image, which bears a strong resemblance to the Shroud of Turin, has been an inspiration for thousands since we began publishing it in 1997.

Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR, Catholic author and speaker, has used it extensively in his books and meditations. He tells the story of how angry, torn, and sad he was on the afternoon of 9/11, when many of his friends and associates were killed in the World Trade Center attacks. This image of the Sacred Heart, which hung in the monastery chapel, ministered deeply to him a message of forgiveness and mercy. Soon after, he used the image as the basis of a series of meditations in his book The Cross at Ground Zero.

A simple, neat, and beautiful way to adorn your home, office, or parish - or even to give as a gift to a friend, relative, or priest.

Handcrafted at our shop in Steubenville, OH.

( GWC-150 )