A Saint in the Neighbourhood 2025: Missionaries for Peace - illuminart stories in light

A Saint in the Neighbourhood 2025: Missionaries for Peace

Who

Community of St Charbel Monastery

What

Architectural Projection

Where

St Charbel’s Maronite Church, Punchbowl

When

8-11 October, 2025

A Saint in the Neighbourhood 2025: Missionaries for Peace

In October 2025, illuminart returned to St Charbel’s Church in Punchbowl to deliver a powerful second edition of A Saint in the Neighbourhood. Titled “Missionaries for Peace,” this light and sound projection event drew inspiration from Saint Charbel’s enduring legacy and explored themes of peace, unity, and faith in action.

The four-night event transformed the façade of the church with luminous storytelling, inviting audiences into a shared spiritual and cultural experience.

This free four night event was made possible through the generous contributions and donations of local businesses and volunteers from the parish community, coordinated by Charles Charbel and a committee representing monastery and community.

The 2025 show evolved from the previous year’s successful debut, incorporating new storytelling layers, expanded animated sequences, and a more immersive environment with textile designs added to awnings as well as detailed projection onto five walls of the facade. Projection-mapped visuals were carefully designed to harmonise with the church’s unique architectural details, while an evocative audio design enhanced the sacred atmosphere.

A unique feature of this year’s event was the integration of the textile artwork, designed to complement and soften the new metal awning above the main courtyard. The illuminated textile design acted as both a visual and symbolic centrepiece, with motifs drawn from community themes of peace, the life of St Charbel, and shared light.

The event ran from Wednesday 8 October to Saturday 11 October, with projections showing from 7:30pm to 10:00pm each night. Thousands of community members, families, and visitors attended, many returning across multiple nights. The experience resonated across generations, offering a moment of stillness, pride, and shared reflection.

The project was shaped with input from the St Charbel’s parish and youth team, and included a peace themed art activity for St Charbel’s school students, encouraging children to express their interpretations of peace and spirituality through visual art. Selected drawings were digitised and integrated into the show’s illuminated visuals as well as the textile awning.

Peace has been at the heart of this year’s story — aligning with the International Year of Peace, and guiding us to embed its principles into every facet of our work. We set out to create an immersive space where audiences could experience something spectacular and, more importantly, leave feeling moved, calmed, and deeply connected.

Cindi Drennan, Illuminart
  • Audience gathering to witness “A Saint in the Neighbourhood” — a shared celebration of light, peace, and cultural connection.
  • Projection-mapped imagery from the 2025 show, exploring themes of spirituality, peace, and cultural harmony through light.
  • From vibrant animation to gentle visual poetry, the show invited the community to pause and reflect on peace in our time.
  • The blessing of the monastery during the Feast of St Charbel created a powerful convergence of spiritual devotion and visual storytelling
  • In a deeply moving moment, the procession of the Feast of St Charbel passed beneath the illuminated awning, blessing the site and all who stood in witness.
  • This year’s show featured a unique backlit textile awning — a beautiful fusion of handcrafted pattern and digital artistry woven into the architecture.
  • Audience gathering to witness “A Saint in the Neighbourhood” — a shared celebration of light, peace, and cultural connection.
  • Projection-mapped imagery from the 2025 show, exploring themes of spirituality, peace, and cultural harmony through light.
  • St Charbel’s quiet strength and spiritual legacy were brought to light through imagery that honoured his journey from humble monk to beloved saint.
  • Projected scenes evoked the solitude and devotion of St Charbel’s hermitage — a life of prayer and sacrifice illuminated through poetic animation
  • From vibrant animation to gentle visual poetry, the show invited the community to pause and reflect on peace in our time.
  • Animated doves and and other symbols for peace floated across the façade, carrying a message of hope, renewal, and peace to all who gathered.
  • Audience gathering to witness “A Saint in the Neighbourhood” — a shared celebration of light, peace, and cultural connection.
  • Projection-mapped imagery from the 2025 show, exploring themes of spirituality, peace, and cultural harmony through light.
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  • More info

    The 2025 event continued illuminart’s signature approach to blending projection with physical embellishment, incorporating a digitally printed textile backlit as part of the show’s luminous aesthetic — a technique that has long featured in the team’s creative toolkit.  The concept was developed collaboratively with community leader Charles Charbel, building on shared expertise in textile fabrication and architectural decor.

    This approach opened the door to new forms of community engagement in the program, where visual storytelling, architectural space, and participatory design converge in meaningful, site-specific ways.

    Outcomes & Legacy

    A Saint in the Neighbourhood – Missionaries for Peace strengthened the growing tradition of light-based celebration at St Charbel’s and set a new creative benchmark for future events. The show’s inclusive design process and sensitive artistic execution reinforced its role as a beacon of community-led art practice, distinct from more commercial light shows.

    illuminart is proud to continue supporting faith communities in expressing shared values through light, projection, and participatory creativity.

    Learn More

    For documentation, updates, and background on the first edition of this project, visit the 2024 show site:
    saintcharbels.illuminart.com.au

  • Our Partners

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  • Project Team

  • credits

    Project led by: Charles Charbel, Fr Anthony El Azzi, and the Parish of St Charbel’s

    SPONSORS and Leading Volunteers (thank you!)

    A-Tech Australia Pty Ltd
    Metro Petroleum
    Ghossayn Group
    Master Civil
    Vision Group Architects
    Chrisos Civil Constructions Pty Ltd
    Chaghoury Enterprises Pty Ltd
    Skylife Foundation
    Peter & Rita Sleiman
    Elephants foot
    Paul Sleiman
    CYD Formgroup
    FormGroup NSW
    Buildup Development Pty Ltd
    Home Upholstery
    Revelop
    MN Builders Pty Ltd
    H&R Hassarati
    Dental on Evaline
    Sandhub
    LHD Lawyers
    Young Academics
    jade.themc
    WFY Constructions
    Maronite Catholic Society
    Nascon
    Truck Tech
    Nader fine Jewels
    Tadros & Noele Nader-  Nader Jewellers
    GeaGea Philanthropy
    Chalouhi
    Loan Path Finance
    AYJEC Legacy Lounge
    Active Counter Measures
    Saints of Coffee
    No Doubt Electrical
    Australian Protection Agency
    Ivani Diamonds
    Fr Chadi Beshara
    Raquelle Wehbe
    CAC Contract and Construction
    ABLYCON developments
    Taytas Food Co
    Born Creators Pty Ltd
    John Taouk
    Town and Country Merrylands
    Professional Bricklaying Services
    Advanced Early learning Centres
    ARIA Carpentry and Construction
    TFM Projects
    Silky Constructions
    Construct NSW PTY LTD

    DRAWING & COLOURING COMPETITION WINNERS:

    Elise Akkari
    Marianne Mitri
    Anwar Chidiac
    Amelia Azzi
    Angelina Obeid
    Charlize Abdo
    Andrew Azzİ
    Josephine Mansour
    Carlos Sama
    Charbel Ayoub
    Tia Massih
    Jolene El-Ahmar
    Gabriella & Alexander Semaan
    Elizabeth & Mary-Rose El Daghl

    RUNNERS-UP:

    Mikayla Youssef
    Harry Taouk
    Ariana Makdessi
    Anna Haddad
    Celena Daher
    Petra Yammine
    Skye Tannous

    THANK YOU!!

  • Project Data

    Project ID # 1438

    Project Type:
    Digital Storytelling for Architecture