The Maxo Vanka Murals of Millvale

Looking to the left inside St. Nicholas Catholic Church

I am a tourist in Western Pennsylvania for the next few days. Today's stop was the first Catholic Church in the Americas specifically for Croatians: St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Millvale, Pennsylvania. That would be reason enough to visit, but there's a more important reason: the famous murals of the artist Maxo Vanka.

St. Nicholas is a Catholic church located on a hill in the Pittsburgh suburb of Millvale. Inside is an impressive collection of murals painted in 1937 and 1941 by Croatian artist Maxo Vanka. Vanko's murals take up every inch of wallspace inside the church. This is a crucifixion scene to the left of the altar:

Another mural is behind the altarpiece. Vanka painted only the upper section. To the left is a scene of Croatians back in Croatia.

To the right are the same Croatians, now depicted as immigrants to America working in the factories.

Vanka was very much into social justice themes.

This is the altarpiece. It's not a Vanka mural, but it's nice.

St. Nicholas himself is top center in the altarpiece.

Above the altarpiece is a muscular Virgin Mary, modeled after the strong Croatian women that Vanka knew back in the Old Country. She's holding the Christ child:

To the right of the altar is a pieta scene:

Finally, continuing the social justice theme, inspired by a mining disaster near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is the mural "Immigrant Mother Gives Her Sons for American Industry." The mother mourns her first son who died in the mining disaster. The other sons, depicted marching back into the mine, soon will die in the rescue attempt.

These are the murals from the section that Vanka completed in eight weeks in 1937. Towards the back are the murals Vanka completed in 1941.

In that four-year period, World War II was unleashed. Croatia was under attack. Vanka turned to anti-war themes from his earlier focus on social justice matters.  This is a mourning scene:

White is a mourning color in Croatia.  This one was my favorite among the murals. Mati:

"Mati" is the Croatian word for "mother." This one depicts Croatian womanhood tied to the cross, showing the suffering of Croatia under World War II.

There are even murals surrounding the stained glass windows.  This is Moses bringing the law given him by the Hand of God:

Across the church, again around the stained glass, is St. Peter being handed the keys to the kingdom (to start the church) from the glorified Christ. The all-seeing eye of God watches over the scene.

Murals everywhere. Even on the ceiling, Sistine Chapel style.

This one, again, showing the anti-war theme, is a Nazi soldier bayoneting an exasperated Christ on the cross.

The look on Christ's face is awesome. You know he is thinking "what the ... are you doing?"