Sister Benedicta Ha stands beneath her artwork at St. Andrew Kim Taegon Oratory. (Photo courtesy of Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP)
By Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Hidden near the Honolulu International Airport is a priceless gem of a church of a Catholic community whose faith is expressed not only sacramentally, but culturally. It is the St. Andrew Kim Taegon Oratory. The church was acquired by nearby Holy Family Parish from the Episcopalians in 2016 and is used by Oahu’s Korean Catholic Community. Outside and inside the church can be found the unique artwork of two generations of artists — lifelong master sculptor Thomas Y. Ha, who created “The Light of Love” displayed outside, and his daughter, Sister of Divine Providence Benedicta Young Hee Ha.
Last year, Sister Benedicta’s sculpted “The Way of the Cross” was added to the oratory. Commissioned right before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was completed on the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul June 29, 2021.
The Stations of the Cross are the fruit of Sister Benedicta’s journeying with Jesus in everyday life. As she witnessed the suffering around the world and took it to prayer with faith, Jesus’ suffering become more real.
As time progressed and with each passing station, she tried to represent Jesus as a way to bring hope during the challenging times. Each station took about a month to complete, from sketching and painting to blending using a method she calls flat sculpture. The technique of flat sculpture allowed each painting to adopt a three-dimensional effect. It gives expression to the face of Jesus that she wanted to emphasize.
To create a consistency to the white figures, the flat sculpture needed time to dry, with additional layers applied, adding more texture. Sister Benedicta’s unique method incorporated rice paper, glue, lacquer and clay, traditional materials used in Korea, her place of birth. With the flat sculpture, she chose gold for the background to symbolize holiness and remind us of the omnipresence of God. The project took over 15 months to complete.
For Sister Benedicta, creating art is like meditation or prayer — an opportunity for reflection. She said it was her father who taught her to see God’s love, the vision of the wide world. Through his faith in God and his life of art, he helped her discover the wonders of the world and experience God as Creator and Artist.
“I want people to feel the grace and light of love and peace that is with us now,” she said. “Art is a chance to share with others the goodness of God, and to teach others how to see God through the eye.”
“We are the gifts of God,” she said. “Through art we share that beautiful heart with each other, becoming more like God’s image. Through my ministry in art, I try to help others see the beauty of things in every moment. That through us, all will come to know Christ’s peace and serenity.”
Sister Benedicta Ha is a religious of the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Allison Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is also the artist of the work “Peace” featuring St. Andrew TaeGon Kim and his 103 companions displayed in the oratory. As an architect and a multi-media artist, she has been invited to exhibit her work in galleries around the world.
