Conflict over crucifix

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trobinson017

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My wife and I have an old crucifix over our bed. The corpus is plastic that used to be flesh colored. Over the years the paint has come off on different parts of the corpus and it looks pretty bad as it’s black underneath. Looks like Jesus has plague! I want to replace it but my wife doesn’t as it’s from her youth. I can try to paint it but I fear I may wind up making it look ridiculous. I know when a sacremental is worn out you’re supposed to bury or burn it. However, what are the rules, if any, on something like this? How can I deftly and tactfully explain to my wife that we maybe we can keep it, I just don’t think it should be displayed in such a poor state? Or should I try to paint it?

Or am I being unreasonable and should just shut my trap?

trob
 
Well, this is just my opinion. But I don’t think either of you is being unreasonable. I can understand your wifes desire to keep something which she treasures so greatly. And yours… to want a crucifix for display, which is in better repair.

Hmm. Maybe you can find a parishioner who does artsy craftsy type painting… who will do a beautiful job restoring the crucifix? Maybe a request in the parish bulletin would help? Just a thought. God bless.
 
I would try to have it repaired - if it is missing paint there is no reason to get rid of it, just have it painted.

I will come back and post the info to a group of ladies who do this sort of thing, they were previously advertising during The One True Faith television show (see my signature), but I can’t recall the name of their business. I’ll get that and post it here for you.

~Liza
 
Try looking through these links:

statue restoration

I would very much like to look through them to find you some specific sites, but am short on time this afternoon…

Best of luck and God bless!
 
Thank you all for your (name removed by moderator)ut! It seems the consensus is to find some way to restore our beloved crucifix. I will make this my personal work of love and compassion, for my wife and for our Lord. Blessed be His name and may his blessings be with each of you!

trob
 
trobinson017 said:
Thank you all for your (name removed by moderator)ut! It seems the consensus is to find some way to restore our beloved crucifix. I will make this my personal work of love and compassion, for my wife and for our Lord. Blessed be His name and may his blessings be with each of you!

trob
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Are you kidding? We’re glad you’re here!
 
I had a figurine from a nativity set that was bumped and had a chunk of paint come off its face. I used a non-frosted peachy-pink nail polish to touch it up, and it looked fine afterwards, although a bit more shiny than the other figurines. Maybe your wife could look for something like this?
 
I, myself, love old religious articles. I have them restored only if it is necessry to preserve them. The favorite one I have is the rosary my father had, which I remember him using back in the 1940’s. It was old then, and I believe he got it from his father, who came over from Poland in the 1880’s. I have had it restrung only to preserve it. I now have it, and use it often. I say this, because I have a good collection of rosaries from over the world. Many I have have been blessed by Pope John Paul II. I had my father’s blessed by him, my first time in Rome. Of all the things my wife and I have after 43 years of marriage, the things our children want most are our religious articles, rosaries, statues, paintings, etc.
Deacon Ed B
 
I know that there are those that specialize in this kind of work. There is someone that I heard of 2nd hand in my area that does this. Do some networking. If you have a Catholic Gift Shop or Book Store in your area, sometimes they have resources. Check it out. Blessings on your endeavor.
 
trobinson017 said:
My wife and I have an old crucifix over our bed. The corpus is plastic that used to be flesh colored. Over the years the paint has come off on different parts of the corpus and it looks pretty bad as it’s black underneath. Looks like Jesus has plague! I want to replace it but my wife doesn’t as it’s from her youth. I can try to paint it but I fear I may wind up making it look ridiculous. I know when a sacremental is worn out you’re supposed to bury or burn it. However, what are the rules, if any, on something like this? How can I deftly and tactfully explain to my wife that we maybe we can keep it, I just don’t think it should be displayed in such a poor state? Or should I try to paint it?

Or am I being unreasonable and should just shut my trap?

trob
Click to expand...
Personally, I love old religious articles. It shows their age, and I like to think about the others that have used them before me (faithfully, naturally).

I would see it as a blessing to have had something for so long! Leave it the same!
 
What I’ve done in a similar situation is to see the object as say being “beaten up by the world”; “badly treated”; “worn by life
around it”; and so on. It then, in a lovely way, becomes so very precious. My wife had a very cheap plastic rosary given to her under very special circumstances by a very lovely person but she later discovered that it had one of the Our Father beads missing. Disappointed initially but then because she suddenly saw that it had been badly “hurt”, like herself, she became so attached to that rosary and will not be parted from it despite being one of the “glow in the dark, cheap variety”. Another very powerful lesson !!!
Brian
 
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