Fr. John Domin (1923–2017) was a priest of the Portland Archdiocese for 57 years and a co-founder of Sanctuary for Sacred Arts. He was ordained March 25, 1950, and served as pastor of multiple parishes, taught high school art at Central Catholic High School, lectured at Mount Angel Seminary, and served as chaplain at Maryville Nursing Home.
He studied creative design at San Damiano Studio in Chicago, the Portland Art Museum, the University of Washington, with Lloyd Reynolds (Oregon Calligrapher Laureate), and with Corita Kent in Los Angeles. For three decades, he chaired the Sacred Art Commission of the Portland Archdiocese, engaging in the design and renovation of over 100 churches to conform to Vatican II. Several of these projects earned national recognition awards.
His watercolor and calligraphy reflect periods of deep contemplative prayer, seeking beauty in ordinary things. He developed art as prayerful, creative meditation. He also created a collection of spiritual homilies, available in the Reflections archive.