Some lives resist easy summary. Charles Billich’s is one of them.
Born in a Croatian village steeped in the Catholic faith, he served as an altar boy and once considered the priesthood. Instead, he was imprisoned for attempting to flee communist Yugoslavia. He made it to Australia and built something remarkable: a career that would place him among the country’s living painters of international standing.
Now, at 91, Charles Billich is preparing what may be his most personal act of faith yet, a bespoke painting of St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, to be unveiled and auctioned at a high-profile gala dinner, In Lumine Fidei, on 9 May, to raise vital funds for the cathedral’s restoration and preservation.
“The cathedral here in Sydney is one of the best located cathedrals in the world. I love it. I love the atmosphere in there,” said Billich.
For a man who has spent seven decades translating the mysteries of faith onto canvas, the connection to St Mary’s runs deeper than admiration. Sitting in his studio, Billich speaks of the cathedral as a spiritual home.
“The cathedral itself is a miracle. And I love it. When I’m getting near to the cathedral, I feel at home when I interact,” he says softly. “I feel so comfortable. And of course, I remain there, sitting or kneeling, praying for hours.”
Charles Billich was born in Lovran, Croatia, a tight-knit community where faith was a part of daily life. His formation was profound and early; selected as an altar boy, the young Billich felt the stirring of a vocation.
But the call to paint proved more insistent than the call to ordination. Billich came to understand that God had assigned him a different kind of ministry. “I have a feeling that I was selected for the task by somebody, the great director in the sky,” he explains.
After arriving in Australia, Billich became one of this country’s most prominent living artists with a Vatican connection that few artists here can claim.
His religious works now hang in the Vatican Collection in Rome; he has twice been received by popes, presenting a commemorative portrait of Mary MacKillop to John Paul II in 1995, and receiving a personal commission from Pope Francis in 2018. “I think the Lord gives it to you,” he has said of his gift, “the hard work is up to you.”
Among his most celebrated commissions is “Resurrection”, a painting that hangs in St Mary’s Cathedral. He was also chosen to create the first artwork honouring Australia’s own St Mary MacKillop.
“My professional life is actually part of my spiritual life,” he says. “I am perpetually aware of the fact that the gift is a true gift from God.”
On the evening of Saturday 9 May, Billich will present what may be his greatest act of devotion, a bespoke painting of St Mary’s Cathedral for auction created for this occasion.
“I can only give away a miserable painting,” he says with characteristic self-deprecating wit. “I would like to project a notion of sainthood, of holiness. Of spiritual elitism. But, you know, humility.”
The evening has drawn support from organisations whose own histories are deeply intertwined with Sydney’s Catholic community.
As a superannuation fund founded by the Catholic Church more than 50 years ago, Catholic Super’s involvement in In Lumine Fidei is a natural expression of its identity. For the fund, places like St Mary’s carry “deep meaning, shared values and collective memory” – and protecting them reflects a commitment to stewardship that extends well beyond finance.
Catholic Super recognises that these spaces do more than mark the skyline. They foster connection, compassion and a sense of collective identity – “strengthening the social and spiritual fabric of the community.” Sponsoring the gala dinner, says the fund, provides a meaningful way to build on those shared foundations, honouring the Catholic community that gave the organisation its purpose.
Founded by William and Mary Bull in 1892, WN Bull Funerals has for over a century been present at the Cathedral.
“For the families we serve, the cathedral represents a constant, peaceful ‘home’ where they can mark life’s most profound transitions,” the company says. “It is a place where the ‘little stories’ of individual lives meet the ‘great story’ of our faith.”
For WN Bull, supporting the restoration of St Mary’s is an extension of that daily vocation to honour the past while serving the present. “We don’t just work in the community; we are of the community,” they say. Their sponsorship of the gala is, in their own words, “an investment in the long-term vitality of the church’s mission” – and a commitment to ensuring the cathedral remains a living, tangible presence for the generations who follow.
If you wish to find out more about the new artwork and auction, or about the Gala Dinner, please contact Samuel Mikhael on 0468 827 729 or at samuel.mikhael@sydneycatholic.org.
To attend the Gala Fundraiser, book here.
