Iconographer Christine Dochwat has fallen asleep in the Lord

March 27, 2026

“What matters most to me is that my work may inspire people to pray. When people pray before an icon, it is no longer my work — it is God’s action.” — Christine Dochwat, iconographer

Christine Dochwat was born in 1934 in Ukraine, and in 1947 she emigrated with her family to the United States of America. She carried a deep love and vivid memory of her homeland: “I still see myself as a small child running through the wheat fields, with the wheat swaying above my head.” These images — of simplicity, beauty, and inner peace — would later be reflected in her icons.

Her artistic journey began at the age of five. She graduated from Saint Basil Academy and later studied art at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota and at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. While working as an artist for the Gimbels Float Parade, she was featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer as “Christine Dochwat, Ukrainian student artist.” It was this publication that caught the attention of the pastor of the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Philadelphia, Fr. Lypon, who invited her to paint an icon. Although she had never written an icon before, it was at that moment that she recognized this as her vocation.

Throughout her life, Christine Dochwat contributed to the adornment of more than 80 churches in various countries around the world. Her icons became not only an украшення of sacred spaces, but also a place of quiet encounter between the human person and God.

A special place in her work is held by the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia, where she created the iconostasis and mosaics. “Mrs. Christine spent more time in this church than many others. Every stone here was placed by her hand,” Metropolitan Borys Gudziak noted during the ceremony conferring upon her the highest award of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church.

On November 14, 2021, Christine Dochwat was awarded the Order of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia. The citation highlighted her “many years of extraordinarily fruitful work in the field of sacred art,” as well as her deep spiritual life, service to the Church, and moral authority.

A video of the award ceremony is available at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHWZYd3UIn4&list=RDzHWZYd3UIn4&start_radio=1

She spoke with particular warmth about her work on the Cathedral, calling it a true blessing.

We invite you to watch a video in which a young artist from Lviv, Ulyana Krekhovets, shares her encounter with the work of Christine Dochwat and how it influenced her own path:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsMy91fUoks

This is a story of two women from different generations and different continents, united by a shared vocation. Christine created at a time when the voice of women in the Church was only just beginning to be heard. Ulyana continues this quiet voice, filling it with new colors.

Today, in a special way, we pray for Mrs. Christine, trusting that her icons will continue to serve as a place of encounter with God for generations to come.

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Relatives and friends are invited to her viewing on Tuesday, April 7, at 9 AM at SS Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, Phoenixville, PA, 19460. Requiem Liturgy will be celebrated at 10 AM. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery, Elkins Park, PA.