A Quiet Devotion
In this Year of St. Joseph, the Universal Church is taking the opportunity to study this saint in more depth. Friendship with St. Joseph is a well-established tradition of the Discalced Carmelite order, beginning with St. Teresa of Jesus. Of St. Joseph she says, “I took for my patron and lord the glorious St. Joseph, and recommended myself earnestly to him . . . our Lord would have us understand that as He was Himself subject to him upon earth—for St. Joseph having the title of father, and being His guardian, could command Him—so now in heaven He performs all his petitions.”1
Though his side altar and niche are often unadorned, its simple and clean elements express the same quiet devotion to St. Joseph as he showed for his family, the Blessed Virgin and Child Jesus. St. Joseph’s mosaic is understated, much like the man himself. A simple SJ intertwined and surrounded by lilies. The design of the mosaic, however, is deceptively simple. The lilies of the mosaic appear fresh and vibrant, tesserae of white, blue, and green giving depth and realism against green leaves and a gold field. These lilies, integral to St. Joseph’s iconography, are echoed in the relief carving around the piece. It is one of the few places in the Basilica where the marble flowers are not roses. They are a touching tribute from one artisan to another.
Much of the design and marble work of the altars in the Basilica was done by San Antonio craftsman Louis Rodriguez. Born in San Antonio in the late nineteenth century, by the age of ten he had left formal schooling behind. In 1908, at the age of fifteen, Rodriguez began to study at a monument company and eventually grew into a master craftsman who worked closely with each client to design unique pieces. In 1921, together with his younger brother, James, Louis founded the company Rodriguez Brothers.
Rodriguez’s relationship to Little Flower began when Louis met the Carmelite Fathers in his early thirties. At that time the shrine was still a dream. A devout Catholic, Rodriguez’s devotion to the shrine project would come to be integral in nearly every aspect of the Basilica. Today the life’s work of the Rodriguez brothers can be found all over Texas and in San Antonio in particular. Many of the sculptures around San Antonio were the creation of the Rodriguez brothers: the Lion monument of San Antonio's Lion's Field (1925); The Alamo Cenotaph (1936); San Antonio de Padua (1955) and more. Louis Rodriguez’s designs proved an invaluable component in many areas of the Basilica, from the bronze of St. Thérèse adorning the highest dome, to the mosaic we are so pleased to share with you now.
Read about the Basilica’s mosaics and Stained Glass Collection by clicking here.