The Secrets of Sacred Art

Announcing Holy Troublemakers

Announcing Holy Troublemakers, a new podcast from StarQuest. In this weekly podcast host Dom Bettinelli will introduce you to the difficult people who built the Catholic

The Shadowless Church

A roofless, wall-less church of white metal tubes stands in a Chinese lavender field, praised by architects for how completely it disappears. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Mur

How Van Eyck Painted Forever

A Magnificat bookmark turns into a full rabbit hole back into the Ghent Altarpiece. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray zoom into Van Eyck's endless blue horizon and the rest

The Painting That Looks Back: Fra Angelico’s Crucifixion

Fra Angelico's early Crucifixion panel is barely bigger than a cabinet door — and only the Virgin Mary looks straight at you. Alix Murray and Kathryn Laffrey trace every

Rabbit Holes

Sacred art hides secrets that never make the show. Alix Murray and Kathryn Laffrey launch Secrets of Sacred Art Rabbit Holes — quick, off-the-cuff dives into the art, chu

The Keys of the Kingdom

A Scottish priest spends six decades in China and never once bullies anyone into belief. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray dig into The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) — Gregory

Grace and Dragons: Stavkirker of Norway

Built without a single nail, carved with dragons, and still standing 800 years later. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace the history, theology, and Catholic heritage o

Here There Be Dragons!

Dragons haunt sacred art from Genesis to Revelation, carrying meanings that shift with every century. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace them from the Aberdeen Bestiar

Whale of a Tale: Fishy Pulpits

Whale-shaped pulpits are real, they're Baroque, and they're loaded with theology. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace the Jonah-Christ connection behind the most specta

Our Lady of Coromoto: Patroness of Venezuela

A proud Venezuelan chief threatened to shoot an arrow at the Virgin Mary. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace the dramatic 1652 apparition, a miraculous image smaller t

Captivating Cathedrals: Shrewsbury Cathedral

England's smallest cathedral holds one of its most layered stories. Alix Murray and Kathryn Laffrey walk through Shrewsbury Cathedral — its fraught Catholic origins, Marg

The Secret Lives of Sacred Fruits

Every apple, pomegranate, strawberry, and almond in sacred art carries theology — and most viewers walk right past it. For episode 50, Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray mar

Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Garden of Promise

The tilma's stars play a song. Reflections in Our Lady's eyes show up to 12 figures. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray unpack the hidden science and 3,000-year-old Mesoamer

Clothed in Glory: The Art and Theology of Priestly Vestments

Priestly vestments carry layers of theology, history, and craft. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace their Roman roots, unpack every layer from amice to cope, and uncov

The Shroud of Turin: Icon of Christ

Did the Shroud of Turin shape the face of Christ in sacred art? Alix Murray, Kathryn Laffrey, and Angela Sealana trace its mysteries, artistic echoes, and the bold claim

Breathtaking Basilicas: Our Lady of Las Lajas, Colombia

A Marian image fused into stone. No brushstrokes. No clear explanation. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray investigate Our Lady of Las Lajas, the miracle story behind it, an

Light from Light: The Life and Art of Blessed Fra Angelico

Fra Angelico’s art radiates prayer, intellect, and beauty. Alix Murray and Kathryn Laffrey show how his Dominican life shaped luminous frescoes, Marian devotion, and a vi

A Prayer Designed to Be Seen: The Rosary in Art

How can one prayer shape art, architecture, and history? Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray reveal the Rosary’s hidden presence in paintings, stained glass, shrines, and gar

Beauty in the Palm of Your Hand: The Art of the Rosary

How can a string of beads shape culture, prayer, and art? Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray unpack the Rosary’s deep roots—from ancient prayer beads to Dominican devotion—a

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Advent begins. Help StarQuest bring faith and reason to the world. Become a $10/month patron (or increase your current donation by $10 per month) and be among the first 4