Mary Magdalene and the Saints by Sister Sophia Rose
- Tanya Torres
- Sep 1
- 3 min read
Sister Sophia Rose creates paintings inspired by her faith. An Anglo-Catholic nun in the Church of England and a member of the Community of Saint Francis, she is part of a first-order Franciscan Sisters. She is from London, England, and lives in a convent with six other sisters.
“We are an active order, so much of my work is outside in the community. I work in homeless shelters and soup kitchens and I am a steward at our cathedral. Before joining CSF, I was a paramedic, so I do voluntary medical work as well.”
Sister Sophia was given the name Sophia Rose because of her love for Saint Rose of Lima and her love for the books of wisdom in the Bible.
“I have been interested in Mary Magdalene as far back as I can remember. Her bravery always moved me. I do not know what she went through before she had demons driven out of her by Jesus, but she loved Jesus with all of her heart. She was with him at his death, suffering with him at his feet. She was the first to see him when he rose from the dead. She went and told the apostles what had happened. Mary Magdalene was clearly of the greatest importance to Jesus. She has been called names throughout history, she has been disrespected. But she must be held very high in the eyes of God. Her beauty, her strength, her independence, and her love shine through the centuries. How could I not love Mary Magdalene?”
For many years, Sister Sophia Rose painted with oils and acrylics on canvas only. Later on, as she began to travel around, she found a new love in digital painting because it is easier to correct and much more portable.
“I like to use the Procreate program and ArtRage. The process I usually use is to create a sketch and then use painting effects to paint in. I like to borrow from baroque styles, like Caravaggio, and I’m inspired by artists like Cabanel. I do not have any skill like theirs though. So after I have done the painting, I usually use Photoshop to add effects of contrast, color, and light.”
When asked her opinion of the relationship between art and spirituality, she explains:
“It is quite straightforward. For me, it is how I express what is in my mind’s eye. I meditate on God and on the Saints when I am creating artwork. I try to honor them through my work to the best of my ability.”
Sister Sophia’s art and creativity are an inspiration to all who have the desire to express their spirituality and faith through visual art as a tool for meditation, visualization, and connection with the divine. By using the tools available to us today, we can bring to life the feelings and devotion of our hearts.
Thank you so much for this lovely article. I’m so honoured to be in magdalene.org ❤️