Stunning scenes of the daily life of the Holy Family

December 8 is usually the date that the Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception of Mary. It was a day fitting for Merci McCoy’s art show at her home parish, St. Andrew’s by the Sea, with more than 80 people attending. Since October 11, Merci has been painting day and night after she understood from Mother Mary that she should paint scenes of the lives of Mary, Jesus and Mary. The result: more than 20 stunning paintings depicting scenes of the daily life of the Holy Family. 

Some of them refer to biblical events—like the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple when Mary and Joseph were desperately looking for him; others were inspired and described what might have happened: Joseph throwing the laughing toddler Jesus up in the air, the Holy Family praying together, Joseph teaching little Jesus how to swim, fish and his trade, carpentry. The facial expressions depict the tenderness and depth of their relationship with one another; the radiant colors make the paintings a feast for the eyes.


Merci explained the story of each picture, which she felt compelled to paint to show the world the beauty of faith and family. “These paintings are not meant to be hidden in a room; they need to be seen,” she shared. While the show lasted only one day, she already got invitations to show them in other parishes—and on top of it, she plans to compile all paintings (including those who weren’t ready for the show) in a book project.