A quiet invitation to prayer will soon reappear in the pages of The Catholic Telegraph, offering a renewed way to encounter God through beauty and reflection.

The “Divine Seeing” (Visio Divina) column returns with a new voice in Cecelia “Ceil” Dorger, an art historian, author, and adjunct professor at Mount St. Mary Seminary and School of Theology.

Dorger brings with her not only decades of academic experience but also a deep personal love for sacred art rooted in both study and prayer. She taught art history for more than 20 years at Mount St. Joseph University, covering subjects ranging from World Art to Modern and American Art. Yet, it was a moment of discernment that ultimately shaped her path.

“When I decided to pursue my Ph.D., I asked myself, and prayed about, what area of art history I wanted to devote years of study to,” said Dorger. “The image of the Virgin Mary was the answer.”

Her focus on Marian imagery, particularly depictions of Mary nursing the Christ Child, opened a deeper spiritual horizon.

“The more I studied images of Mary, the more deeply my attraction and devotion to her grew,” said Dorger. “And the closer I got to our Blessed Mother, the closer I got to Jesus.”

From there, her interest expanded into the broader world of sacred art. Today, Dorger continues to share that intersection with her students at Mount St. Mary Seminary. Through teaching the course “Sacred Scripture Seen Through Sacred Art,” she finds the classroom itself becomes a place of mutual encounter.

“I have a great deal of respect for the men on their path to the priesthood,” said Dorger. “Their faith feeds me, and their insights teach me.”

That same spirit of encounter lies at the heart of Visio Divina; the ancient form of prayer Dorger will introduce through her column. Often described as “divine seeing,” the practice invites individuals to enter into a sacred image with openness and attentiveness to God’s presence.

“It is a simple process,” said Dorger. “You invite God’s presence, gaze at the image, notice what stirs in your heart, and allow that to lead you into prayer.”

In a world saturated with images, Dorger believes sacred art remains uniquely powerful.

“We are constantly looking at pictures,” said Dorger. “God uses this impulse for His glory.”

While sacred art once served to teach Scripture to largely illiterate populations, she observes that modern society faces a different challenge.

“Today, we suffer from the illiteracy of impatience and distraction,” said Dorger. “Beauty and sacred art can still draw us in and inspire us to holiness.”

Through her writing, Dorger hopes the column will move beyond simply looking at art to truly seeing it.

“We often look, but we do not see,” said Dorger, referencing the Gospel story of Bartimaeus. “If we ask for God’s grace as we approach sacred art, He will reveal Himself to us.”

Ultimately, Dorger sees herself not as the guide but as an instrument.

“It is extraordinary to think God might use me in this way,” said Dorger. “I am excited to serve, but I know He is in the driver’s seat.”