Dony MacManus: Sacred Art School In Florence, Italy-Renewing Culture In Christ

Dony MacManus: Sacred Art School In Florence, Italy-Renewing Culture In Christ

Dony is an Irish sculptor who started a school of arts in Florence. His aim is a revival of Western culture by bringing Christ back into culture.
This page contains contact information for all the faculty members of the Dony Mac Manus Studios – Sacred art School. You can send e-mail to them, or visit their personal home pages.

Dony Mac Manus Studios
Sacred Art School
Via degli Artisti 6, 50132 Firenze, Italy
Email: donymacmanus@gmail.com
Landline:(00 39) 055 0516 846
Mobile: (0039) 333 4134 552
Bachelor of Design, National College of Art and Design (Dublin, Ireland)
Higher Diploma in Art and Design Teaching, N.C.A.D.
(Dublin, Ireland)
Master of Fine Art, New York Academy of Art
(Lower Manhattan, USA)
Marble Carving, Academia di Bella Arte di Firenze (Italy)
Founder/Director of the Irish Academy of Figurative Art,
(Dublin Ireland)
Marble carving at the Accademia di Bella Arte di Firenze (Italy)
Founder/Director of Studios, Florence (Italy)
Masters in Architecture, Sacred Art and Liturgy,European University in Rome (Italy)
Founder/Director of Sacred Art School, (Italy)
Fr. John Wauck, a Chicago native, is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei. He studied Renaissance History and Literature at Harvard University and holds a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome), where he currently teaches a course on literature and the communication of the faith. He also teaches the philosophy of art in Catholic University of America’s Rome program. Before moving to Italy in 1995, he wrote speeches for the Attorney General of the United States and the Governor of Pennsylvania. He has participated in several documentary films and worked as an on-set consultant on one major motion picture.
Our program is based on the three core statements about sacred art in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
2502 Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God – the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and love visible in Christ, who “reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature,” in whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Savior, the Holy One and Sanctifier.

2503 For this reason bishops, personally or through delegates, should see to the promotion of sacred art, old and new, in all its forms and, with the same religious care, remove from the liturgy and from places of worship everything which is not in conformity with the truth of faith and the authentic beauty of sacred art.

2513 The fine arts, but above all sacred art, “of their nature are directed toward expressing in some way the infinite beauty of God in works made by human hands. Their dedication to the increase of God’s praise and of his glory is more complete, the more exclusively they are devoted to turning men’s minds devoutly toward God” (SC 122).
Spiritual Content
Due to the sacred nature of the art that we teach, it is our belief that, if we are to be consistent with our mission, an important part of our program should be a daily plan of liturgical and devotional prayer. “Genuine sacred art,” which, in the words of the Catechism, ‘draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God’, can only spring from minds and hearts that are truly centered on God.

SAS Daily Timetable:
Spiritual activities in red are encouraged as core to the formation of a sacred artist. During the Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer periods we will be covering recommended prayerful texts for the formation of sacred artists. The idea is to punctuate the day with prayerful and contemplative moments to help us to keep our focus on the source of all Beauty, Truth and Goodness which is Christ fully present in the Blessed Eucharist. Each week there will be an English-speaking priest available for confession and spiritual direction if desired.