Mother of God has long been known as a "Cradle of the Arts," thanks in part to its ornate interior decorated with murals by Johann Schmitt, a well-known 19th-century artist who was an early teacher of Frank Duveneck.

On Sunday, May 18, the parish added one more gem to its collection when it dedicated one of Schmitt's earliest paintings, "Our Lady of Sorrows," during a special Vespers service.

It was actually more of a homecoming for the artwork. The 4'x8' painting originally hung in Mother of God's parish school, formerly located across the street where there is now a parking lot. When the school was demolished in 1974, Fr. Bill Mertes gifted the painting to parishioner John Johannemann. Later on, Johannemann gave the painting to Vic Canfield for safekeeping, In 2024, Canfield engaged the services of art restorer Terry Boyle of Cincinnati to return the painting to its original splendor. Canfield then gifted it to Mother of God in memory of Richard Sacksteder.

The painting will be hung in the choir loft on the east side, where it will complement another Schmitt painting, "Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth," which was donated to Mother of God by the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, IN, in 2019.