San Antonians are planning a Texas- size send-off for Archbishop Jose Gomez. Archbishop Gomez was named last month by Pope Benedict XVI to be successor to Cardinal Roger Mahoney upon his retirement as Archbishop of Los Angeles. In his five years since succeeding Archbishop Patrick Flores, Archbishop Gomez has earned a special place in the hearts of South Texans, both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. This Sunday, the San Antonio Archdiocese will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving for Archbishop Jose Gomez at St. Mark the Evangelist Church. Following the 3 p.m. service there will be a farewell reception and the Archbishop will be presented with a life- size portrait painted by former advertising guru Lionel Sosa. "I wanted to capture his spirit," said Sosa. "There's a sense of humor about him all the time. While being totally dignified in his role as Archbishop, he is a jovial man who has a smile in his eye. He extends his arms out to welcome all who come to his office. I wanted his portrait to convey that sense of dignity and reverence along with his look of friendliness," Sosa explained. Before he could begin to paint, Sosa visited the Archbishop and took a series of photographs. He then "worked day and night for three weeks" to finish it. He included an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the Americas and a very important saint to Archbishop Gomez. In the composition, the virgin hovers above Gomez' shoulder, reminding us of her role as his inspiration. "I wanted to include his special relationship with her, "said Sosa. To highlight his bright spirit and sense of adventure, Sosa chose to paint the background a rather unusual color which Sosa describes as "ecclesiastical purple meets heavenly sky blue". Behind Gomez' other shoulder is a faint, ghosted image of the bishop's cross, symbolizing both his faith and his position in the church. Sosa paints in the realist style and is a student of one of the country's foremost realist portrait artists, Nelson Shanks of Philadelphia. Collectors and followers of Sosa's work say there is such a lifelike quality to his portraits, that one often gets the feeling that that the person, not just the canvas, is in the room. I plan to attend the Thanksgiving Mass and reception and will let you know the Archbishop's reaction when Lionel Sosa presents him with the portrait.
