Christendom mourns the tragic passing of alumna Mandy Hain ’07, who passed away after a battle with cancer on February 7, 2023. An extraordinary artist, passionate Catholic, and a dear friend to so many, Mandy was 41.
Mandy was raised in Delaware before moving to Front Royal, Virginia, to attend Christendom, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy. An ardent artist from a young age, Mandy moved to Florence, Italy, following graduation to study painting, drawing, sculpture, and fresco. Upon her return to the United States, Mandy continued learning and deepening her love of art, studying with Buon Fresco and the Academy of Wall Artistry, master painter Robert Liberace, master iconographer Vladislav Andrejev, and others. She also studied portrait and figure at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia.
Mandy painted the columns of Christendom’s St. John the Evangelist Library.
Mandy brought a combination of classical fine art and classical decorative techniques to all her work, including hand-painted ornamentation, gilding, plaster and painted wall finishes, fresco, murals in oil, and iconography. When she was not beautifying a church, she would be found working from her home studio, doing commission portraits and religious art.
It was with children that Mandy’s real passion for art came alive, however. For years, she taught children’s art lessons, in and around Front Royal, sharing her gifts to raise up a new generation of artists and saints.
Mandy provided the gold leaf lettering for the inscription that sits above the entrance to the college’s new Christ the King Chapel.
“I believe that beauty is not an accessory to our lives, but a necessity through which we are exposed to the Truth,” wrote Mandy. “Without it, we cannot live fully in the image of the First Artist and Creator or enjoy life in a fully human way. I believe that every child is an artist because I think that art is a gift with which every person is endowed through their human nature.”
Mandy spent weeks working on the letters that encircle the crossing tower of the new Chapel, bringing a stunning beauty to the space.
Mandy’s work can be seen all around her alma mater, from the St. John the Evangelist Library to St. Kilian’s Café. Her primary contribution on campus, and a great legacy, can be seen in the college’s new Christ the King Chapel. Mandy spent countless hours painting the ceiling of the crossing tower, writing the gorgeous letters of the “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,” and providing the gold-leaf detail of the Latin inscription “This is the House of God and Gate of Heaven” that sits above the entrance to the Chapel.
When asked why she gave so much of her time and talent to the beautifying of the Chapel, Mandy pointed to the necessity of raising hearts and minds to God through art — a philosophy that was at the heart of Hain’s mission here on Earth.
Painting the crossing tower’s ceiling was an enormous undertaking, and one that also brought considerable pain at times. Mandy often spoke about offering up her sufferings gladly and the redemptive element of being an artist, pointing to the importance of raising one’s eyes to God.
“I believe that it is of the greatest importance that the students, those in the community and any who may wander in having seen it from the highway, be able to worship and meditate in a place of beauty,” said Mandy. “Beauty brings us to its Source and makes us better without effort on our part. It is truly part of God’s order of mercy and redemption in this way. This is a dream I have for the students—that they encounter real beauty within the heart of Christendom, the Chapel of Christ the King.”
Mandy leaves behind a legacy of beauty in her many beautiful works of sacred art. She also inspired and enriched the lives of so many through her love of beauty, deep faith, and her loving presence. She will be sorely missed by the entire Christendom community.
May her soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
In lieu of flowers, family and friends are invited to consider contributing to the Piccolo Bellezze Fund at Christendom College, founded in honor of Mandy and in support of beauty and the arts. More information can be found at christendom.edu/mandy.
Family and friends are also invited to consider contributing to the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word, sisterservants.org.