An arts teacher at DeMatha Catholic High School recently completed a large-scale mural honoring the school’s namesake and its 75th anniversary, adding to the public art scene on the Route 1 corridor.

In the 100-foot-long mural, which sits at the entrance of the private high school in Hyattsville and is visible from Baltimore Avenue heading north to College Park, Art Department Chair Vaughn Holsey retells the life story of St. John of Matha, a 12th century Catholic saint. The mural, which extends as high as 12 feet, is lit up at night with a dramatic rotating light display.

Born to a noble family in France, the saint dedicated his life to buying and freeing enslaved Christians who had been captured by raiders and later founded the Order of the Most Holy Trinity.

The Trinitarians established a monastery in Hyattsville in 1931 because of its proximity to Catholic University, followed by a small high school in 1946 for young men interested in the priesthood, which later expanded to DeMatha.

Working with DeMatha alums Jovanni Portillo-Holsey and Brandon Green, Holsey started painting the mural in June.

The mural features John of Matha holding broken chains, symbolizing freedom, and a white stag, which he saw in a vision and which is the school’s mascot.

The project was sponsored by Sherwin-Williams.

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