Based on reporting by Kimmy Chacón, Angelus News, June 8, 2026
In the city of Artesia, where generations of Portuguese immigrants once built lives around dairy farms and family enterprises, a new mural at Holy Family Church now stands as a striking tribute to memory, faith, and cultural heritage.
Unveiled shortly after Easter, the Portuguese-inspired tile mural transforms the church vestibule into a visual celebration of both the parish’s history and its contemporary multicultural identity. Created by artist José García Moreno, the installation draws inspiration from Portugal’s centuries-old tradition of azulejo tilework while embracing the diverse community that now calls Holy Family home.
For much of the twentieth century, Holy Family Church served as the spiritual center of Artesia’s Portuguese dairy-farming families. Although the parish today reflects the rich diversity of Southern California, including members of Filipino, Mexican, Panamanian, and many other backgrounds, church leaders sought a way to honor the community that helped establish the parish nearly a century ago.
The idea originated with pastor Father John Cordero, who envisioned bringing a traditional Portuguese tile panel to the church. What began as a modest tribute soon evolved into a larger project: the renewal of the church facade through an expansive tile mural inspired by Portugal’s distinctive architectural traditions.
Father Luis Proença, a Portuguese Jesuit who has served at Holy Family for more than three decades, helped connect the parish with Moreno, whose large-scale artistic installations are known for combining spirituality, imagination, and contemporary technology. Together they developed a work that speaks simultaneously to the parish’s past and future.
The mural’s central theme is rooted in Christ’s call to become “fishers of men.” Fish from different parts of the world move through a spiraling design that converges toward the Eucharist, symbolizing the gathering of peoples, cultures, and nations into one faith community. Drawing upon the Gospel mandate to “make disciples of all nations,” the artwork reflects the reality of Holy Family as a parish shaped by immigration and cultural diversity.
For Father Proença, the spiral represents creation, renewal, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. The intertwined fish symbolize people from different backgrounds whose lives become connected through shared faith and community. The mural’s permanence also carries meaning. Crafted from printed tiles designed to resemble traditional mosaics, the installation was created to endure for generations.
Among those most moved by the project are longtime Portuguese parishioners. Deacon Frank Faria, whose family has been part of Holy Family since the 1960s, sees the mural as a fitting acknowledgment of the Portuguese families whose sacrifices and dedication helped build the parish. The use of traditional Portuguese-sized tiles reinforces that connection, creating a visible link between Artesia and the homeland many parishioners or their ancestors once left behind.
Yet the mural is not merely an exercise in nostalgia. Moreno approached the project with a spirit of innovation, using advanced digital techniques to create an installation that honors tradition while embracing contemporary artistic methods. For the artist, the ultimate goal was simple: to create beauty that invites reflection and spiritual contemplation.
Since its unveiling, visitors have responded emotionally to the work, finding in its imagery both personal meaning and collective memory. For Moreno, those reactions are a reminder that once art enters a community, it takes on a life of its own.
The mural now stands as more than a decorative addition to a church wall. It is a visual testament to the Portuguese pioneers of Artesia, to the immigrant communities that continue to shape Southern California, and to the enduring belief that faith, culture, and memory can bring people together across generations.
Source: “New Portugal-inspired mural at Artesia church has ‘fishers of men’ theme,” by Kimmy Chacón, Angelus News, June 8, 2026.
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