AN INTERPRETATION OF THE ARTWORKS In St. Francis of Assisi Church - Fitchburg, MA, was originally written by my father to be used as an instructional aid during his religious education classes. The need to enjoy and understand the artwork in a church was best explained by Pope John Paul II: Letter to Artists on the Place and Significance of Art Pope John Paul II - April 4, 1999 ..".In the history of human culture, all of this is a rich chapter of faith and beauty. Believers above all have gained from it in their experience of prayer and Christian living. Indeed, for many of them, in times when few could read or write, representations of the Bible were a concrete mode of catechesis. But for everyone, believers or not, the works of art inspired by Scripture remain a reflection of the unfathomable mystery which engulfs and inhabits the world..."