By Zoebelle Bean, Catholic editor
The Paschal Candle on the altar – Photo by Zoebelle Bean
The Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel has obtained a new Paschal Candle, and this year the candle has been decorated by Aquinas College junior Sarah Evon. Evon studies music and the arts at Aquinas College and plans on graduating in the spring of 2026.
According to Evon, she was asked by Father Jordan Deguire, O.P. at the beginning of the semester to carve the candle. “I responded that I would be willing,” Evon said, “because I love doing things for God.” They had an initial meeting to discuss what was necessary in the design, how she would be compensated, the timeline and the materials. Then, a two inch diameter wax candle was ordered in and painted over by Evon.
The Paschal Candle being made – Photo by Sarah Evon
To make the design, Evon used Microsoft PowerPoint to make a template for the main essentials. This included the main cross, a black and white Dominican one, the year of the candle’s making, and the alpha and omega symbols, symbolic of Jesus himself who claimed He was the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. Then, Evon used Microsoft Word to create the wrap-around words “The Light of Christ” that decorate the center circumference of the candle.
Evon claimed she did this to try and implement her talents for the building up of the Kingdom of God. “You might recall… how Jesus related the parable of the talents,” Evon said. “‘Master, look you gave me five talents, and I have traded with them and made five more.’ And his master rewards him richly. I hope to do the same with whatever I am able to do.” Evon described herself as an oil painter who found herself working with joy and enthusiasm on something that she would otherwise have thought as totally unrelated to her work.
The Dominican cross grafted onto the candle, without paint – Photo by Sarah Evon
According to the “Meet the Artist” sign in the narthex of the Chapel, Evon had several sketches drawn initially for the candle. In the artist’s statement, however, Evon described why she chose the final design. “In creating something that is an important part of the Liturgy,” Evon said, “it was imperative for the decorative markings to be faithful to the intent of the symbolism of the candle itself.” She painted the middle section first with the Dominican cross, for a Dominican college, and gave it bands of red to symbolize the armor of Christ overtop the cross.
She described the Paschal Candle, the light of Christ, as defense against the darkness, a shield against that which he overcame. The complete sign and description can be found near the baptismal font in the narthex of the Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel.
A close shot of the completed Paschal Candle – Photo by Sarah Evon
The Saint 