For the past five months, young people at St. Julie Billiart Parish in Tinley Park have grown closer to God while creating art for the parish and the community.

“We are all about trying to engage kids with their faith and teach them about the faith in every medium that we can,” said Nathan Roy, director of lifelong formation for St. Julie Billart Parish. “Different kids learn differently.”

The students in kindergarten through high school are part of a longstanding practice in the church, Roy said.

“The church has used art to teach for centuries. It brings us to the divine. It heightens and lifts the soul,” he said.

There was a time when the church used art to teach the faith because most people were illiterate, Roy noted.

“It’s sort of ironic because nowadays, less and less kids are reading,” he said.

But they are still interested in the faith and in art and that is a vehicle the parish is using to share the story of Christ and the story of the church. It is also a way to let the children teach others through the art they create.

Students started before Lent creating a portion of the set for the parish’s annual Lenten Passion program. But before putting brushes to paint they learned about Jesus’ Passion.

“That allowed them to then put that into art,” Roy said.

Next, they created images of the mysteries of the rosary that resembled stained-glass and were hung in the parish’s Divine Center, where they hold faith formation programs.

“We wanted something to be a lasting project,” Roy said. “Art stands the test of time. That’s one of the wonderful ways it does continue to teach and form people in the faith. It’s not a one and done thing.”

The students also created personal projects that will be part of a parish- and communitywide Christian art celebration in July.

“The biggest impact is that people know that kids are creating and putting their hearts into art. They are not painting Paw Patrol. They are painting about the life of Christ,” Roy said. “To know that, without even seeing anything, is a powerful message for the average Catholic,”

 Retired art teacher Pat Langevin assists Roy in the classes.

“I thought I was helping the church, but this is helping me. I just love it,” Langevin said. “The kids are all different. It’s just so special to be with them.”

She said she encourages the kids not to be judgmental of their art.

“God is the great creator so when you do art you are responding to the great creator,” she said.

Nilo Anderson, 13, usually creates art with pencil and paper so has been able to expand his work into different mediums through the class. He attends Mass at St. Julie with his grandmother and will start Order of Christian Initiation for Adult classes soon, he said.

“My mom works as an art teacher in Chicago. I’ve grown up doing art,” Anderson said. “The class definitely helped me start learning and getting ready to become Catholic.”

Amelia Vieck, 12, said her dad saw a flier for the program and encouraged her to take part.

“I’ve been really enjoying it and thinking that it is really cool that I’ve been able to do this for something that people enjoy,” she said. “I’ve learned that bonding with God takes time just like art takes time. … And even if you mess up it’s still going to be OK.”

Patrick Schaffer, 6, agreed.

“My mom asked me about this and I love art so I said ‘yes.’”

Ergel Manuel, 12, has particularly liked the creativity of the class and spending time with friends.

“At first, I was skeptical, but now I’m doing fine,” he said.