Members of St. Christopher Parish in Galt recently celebrated the arrival of a carved figure of Christ, crafted by New Mexico artist Gustavo Victor Goler, which was installed on to a nine-foot mahogany and walnut cross above the altar in the sanctuary of their year-old church.

Father Gerald Ryle, pastor, contacted Goler after viewing photographs of some of his work featured in the book, “New Kingdom of the Saints.” He commissioned the artist to carve the figure to be placed on the cross crafted by parishioner Nick Newberger.

The figure of Christ carved by Gustavo Victor Goler was recently installed on the mahogany and walnut cross above the altar in St. Christopher Church in Galt. Cathy Joyce/Herald photo

Goler, 38, who calls himself a “saint maker” because of his sculpting and painting of religious artifacts, took four months to complete the image, which is carved out of New Mexico pine, then polychromed. He drove the finished work from Santa Fe, N.M., to Galt in his van.

In an interview with The Herald, Goler described his work as “very stylized.”

“I’ve been carving crucifixes almost all my life,” he said. “This is very much my style. As a carver and a sculptor, there’s a tendency to care some of your own characteristics into your pieces. My image of Christ represents the suffering of Christ.”

The carved figure clearly shows both the humanity and divinity of Christ, according to Father Ryle. “His body is tortured, but there is not a drop of blood on the golden cloth around his waist,” he said. “This represents the hidden divinity, the godhead of Christ. You can also see on his arms and legs, blue and red bruise marks, representing that he is the Lamb of God.

“As we look on the suffering Christ, we see his divinity and realize that through our baptism we become members of the body of Christ,” he added. “He is the cause of our faith and he is with us in our suffering and dying.”

Goler said carving the figure of Christ touched him spiritually. “Carving the image was very special because Jesus is our central focus,” he said. “He brings us all together, to community.

“Every morning, I would light a candle and say a prayer for guidance and help in my day’s work. I started to talk to Jesus as a friend,” he added. “So it is with a little sadness that I put him in the van to come to St. Christopher’s, but it is with joy now that I leave him here in the parish.”

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