Augustinian friars enrich the ÃŞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ community as our leaders, professors, campus ministers, chaplains and mentors, bringing to vivid life our shared values of Unitas, Veritas, Caritas. Recently, our community mourned the loss of a friar whose special talents made our campus, and our world, more beautiful.
The Rev. Richard G. Cannuli, OSA, MFA, ’73 CLAS, a professor of Studio Art, curator of the University’s Art Gallery and Collection, and a remarkably gifted and prolific artist, . The Rev. Kail C. Ellis, OSA, PhD, assistant to the President and dean emeritus, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, wrote this reflection about Father Richard’s contributions:
“Sharing the beauty and manifestation of new ideas and forms is what Richard accomplished in his teaching and in his works. His range was vast: icons; fabric design, especially liturgical vestments; stained glass windows; mosaics; watercolors; and mixed media. He exhibited in Italy, Spain, China, Russia, Belarus and Greece, as well as throughout the United States. His stained-glass windows grace many chapels around the country.
The chapel of the Charles Widger School of Law and Corr Chapel on the ÃŞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ campus house a spectacular collection of his windows that depict Mary, the tragedy of the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11, and saints—both Augustinians and members of other religious orders, and particularly women saints. His icons were presented to prominent individuals around the globe, including Pope Francis and the late Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, the Patriarch of the Maronite Church at the time.
Another of his icons was accepted for the permanent collection of the Holy Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai, Egypt.
“Richard’s work is infused with radiant light and shines like the sun. He was blessed both with enormous talent and the gift of a life spent in service to others. … May he rest in God’s peace and in our love.â€