the church is
One body and
Many Parts
'The body is one and has many members'
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
"Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ... God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
"But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." -1 Cor 12:12, 14, 18, 24-26 (NRSV)
Many Parts Incorporated is dedicated to lifting up the faith experiences of racial and ethnic minority communities. We believe that the bonds of the Body of Christ can be strengthened through faith-filled storytelling and listening.
We begin by telling and listening to the stories of Catholic saints since the beginning of the colonial era. Their responses to experiences of cultural conflict were informed by their imitation of Christ. In turn, following the exhortation of St. Paul, we imitate them (1 Cor 11:1). We produce and sell art of these saints to promote our mission.
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The art collection features saints from all around the world. They died young and old. They were lay and religious. They were women and men. They experienced suffering in following Christ. Their strength came from the wellspring of Christ’s self-emptying love, which inspired and empowered them to pour out their lives in service to humankind.
Through sales of art, we are building resources to amplify voices and listen to more stories. We are looking for more stories to tell: the stories of saints in the making. Their examples will also inspire us to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and awe of the Lord.
“We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses ...”
Hebrews 12:1