She began her artistic journey at the age of five, and the pastels and charcoal have not left her hands since. In 1951, Christine Dochwat was a recent graduate of Saint Basil Academy who debated what career path she wanted to follow. Today, she is a leading iconographer whose works have ornamented over 80 churches throughout the world.
Christine Dochwat was born in Ukraine on September 22, 1934 and emigrated to the United States in 1947, but she still vividly remembers her homeland. "1 still dream of running through the wheat fields as a small child, with the wheat waving above my head," Christine reminisced on a recent visit to Saint Basil Academy. As a high school student, Christine stayed connected with her heritage through participating in SBA's Ukrainian cultural opportunities, such as the Ukrainian Dance Club. Upon graduation, she began her artistic studies at the Ringiing Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida and then moved back to Philadelphia to attend the University of the Arts. As a college senior, she worked as an artist for Gimbel's Float Parade and was mentioned in the Philadelphia Inquirer as "Christine Dochwat, Ukrainian student artist". The pastor of the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, Reverend Lypon, came upon this photo and contacted Christine to see if she would create an icon for him. Although she had never painted one before, she soon realized that this was God's way of leading her to her life's work. Christine describes an icon as an instrument of the artist, which beckons the beholder to prayer and piety, and brings him closer to the Almighty. She explains, "It's not what 1 would create for a museum or a house because it has to be something that speaks to people and takes them closer to God." She begins each icon by praying, and is still terrified by an empty canvas despite her many years of experience. Christine often works late into the night because once she is inspired, she does not want to interrupt the flow of her artistry. She feels very fortunate that God has blessed her with this talent and says, "You must have a passion to do church work. You have to love it, and cannot think of the money." Christine believes that you must have patience as an iconographer because it can be a tedious and time-consuming art form, but the rewards are endless. Today, Christine has retired in Jeffersonville, Pennsylvania, where she is an avid golfer. She still keeps in touch with several of her SBA classmates from the class of 1951. She recently visited her alma mater in May, where she stopped into a biology classroom and led some of the freshman students in a Ukrainian prayer. Christine believes that her time at SBA helped steer her life's path, saying, "SBA gave me that push into a life of dedication. It taught me the value of serving instead of being served."
If you are interested in viewing some of Christine Dochwat's work, you may visit the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia.
