In the Company of Saints
Patron of Those with Stressful Jobs: St. Walter of Pontoise; Handmade Desktop Pewter Statue
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$39.95
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Stressed out by work? So was Saint Walter of Pontoise, the patron of people with stressful jobs, who can help, be a guide, and it’s cheaper than pills or psychiatry. This is a handmade, desktop statue. I design and carve the pieces and then cast them myself in lead-free pewter, with a patina (see the last 2 photos for part of the process). The statues come boxed and with small “booklet,” the text of which reads:
"St. Walter of Pontoise (1030–95) was the first abbot of the monastery at Pontoise, a position of great responsibility and stress: an abbot at this time (often working on very little sleep) oversaw the lives and work of hundreds of monks; major construction projects (cathedrals, living quarters, farm buildings...); the harvesting and distribution of crops; delicate correspondence with the church hierarchy.... In short, Walter was a kind of CEO. But all he really ever wanted was to be off by himself, spending his days praying, in peace. This tension between stressful work and another lifestyle that had a strong call to him existed for years. Several times Walter fled the monastery, once going as far as walking to Rome to ask Pope Gregory VII to be released from his job. The pope sent him back, knowing that Walter was very good at his work. Finally Walter made peace with himself and became an example and companion to all who have stressful jobs, realizing that the work he did was of benefit to many, and accepting that the best way ahead was to integrate his working life and his other calling. Pray and work, as the Benedictines say. On the front of this small statue Walter is at his desk, his hand on a pile of correspondence, pondering his work. On the back, he is outside, free, the two sides of the statue representing the two aspects of his life that he had brought into harmony."
Dimensions: 3.2 (h) x 1.8 (w) x .8 (d) inches
"St. Walter of Pontoise (1030–95) was the first abbot of the monastery at Pontoise, a position of great responsibility and stress: an abbot at this time (often working on very little sleep) oversaw the lives and work of hundreds of monks; major construction projects (cathedrals, living quarters, farm buildings...); the harvesting and distribution of crops; delicate correspondence with the church hierarchy.... In short, Walter was a kind of CEO. But all he really ever wanted was to be off by himself, spending his days praying, in peace. This tension between stressful work and another lifestyle that had a strong call to him existed for years. Several times Walter fled the monastery, once going as far as walking to Rome to ask Pope Gregory VII to be released from his job. The pope sent him back, knowing that Walter was very good at his work. Finally Walter made peace with himself and became an example and companion to all who have stressful jobs, realizing that the work he did was of benefit to many, and accepting that the best way ahead was to integrate his working life and his other calling. Pray and work, as the Benedictines say. On the front of this small statue Walter is at his desk, his hand on a pile of correspondence, pondering his work. On the back, he is outside, free, the two sides of the statue representing the two aspects of his life that he had brought into harmony."
Dimensions: 3.2 (h) x 1.8 (w) x .8 (d) inches
