Rohn & Associates recently returned to St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, to participate in the veneration of a relic of St. John Paul II. The Polish-born pope, the first non-Italian pontiff in over 400 years—served for 27 years, becoming the second longest-serving pope in history. He was beatified on May 1, 2011, and canonized on April 27, 2014.
Father Troy Gately, who collaborated with liturgical designer Rolf Rohn on St. John Vianney’s comprehensive Catholic church renovation—including the devotional statuary plan and sacred art program—invited the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary to the parish. This religious community, entrusted with the relic for one year, brought it through the generosity of Denise and Julio Zaldivar, whose daughter is a novice with the Order.
On Tuesday, November 7, thousands of parishioners and visitors queued late into the evening to venerate the relic—kissing it, offering prayers and intentions, and having their rosaries and sacred images blessed. The event reflected the parish’s deep spiritual life and devotion—brought to life through liturgical design, sacred art, and hand-carved devotional statuary.
The hand-carved St. John the Baptist statue—part of the church’s devotional statuary plan—is available for churches and chapels seeking Catholic sacred art that inspires prayer, enhances worship, and enriches devotional spaces.
