April 1: The Pop Artist

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is April 1st, and our story is The Pop Artist. Andy Warhol's body of work is a study in contrast, juxtaposing commercialism, celebrity, and fine art. His life was something of the same.

Born Andrew Warhola Jr. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1928 to Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic immigrants, the future pop artist spent much of his childhood bedridden. Throughout his long illnesses, his mother kept him entertained with art projects, the radio, and celebrity news. Later, as an adult, Warhol made a career out of those childhood entertainments, first as a graphic artist for magazines and advertising firms, then as the most celebrated pop artist of the 20th century.

Using a host of different mediums, including film, music, sculpture, photography, performance art, and painting, Warhol repeatedly violated the art world's established boundaries. For him, no subject was too ordinary—Campbell soup cans—or too mundane—dollar bills. Likewise, no matter how perverse, no subject was too taboo. During his lifetime, Warhol's public image mirrored his art. Openly gay, he lived at the center of a countercultural community that pushed society's boundaries as thoroughly as Warhol pushed art's boundaries.

Yet, while unquestionably homosexual, by his own account, Warhol was continent, refraining from sexual relations with others. He also was a closeted Catholic. After Warhol's death, the world discovered that the legendary pop artist had never left the faith, as most assumed he had. He visited his New York parish daily, sometimes for Mass, sometimes just to pray, and regularly volunteered at a soup kitchen. In his apartment, he kept a small altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and by his bed, he kept a prayer book and rosary.

He also proudly paid for his nephew's seminary studies and spent the last year of his life painting more than 100 variations of Da Vinci's The Last Supper. On February 22, 1987, following a routine surgery, Warhol unexpectedly passed away. He received a Catholic funeral at Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church in Pittsburgh. A memorial service took place a month later, on April 1, 1987, in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Warhol's life reminds us that faith can exist quietly, even amid a public life filled with distraction and acclaim. Take a moment today to create a small personal altar or sacred corner in your home. Even a candle, a prayer book, or a small image can help you center yourself and maintain a quiet devotion.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Join us tomorrow, April 2nd, for another story of faith and courage in America.