Recently, I celebrated my one-year anniversary of working for the Diocese of Columbus Office of Communications. Though my job title is Content Team Lead, I could go by many titles; the resident social media expert, the content gatherer, the “talking to strangers to get information” pro, and my personal favorite, diocesan photographer.
The Diocese of Columbus Communications Team is beginning a new series: Through His Lens. Through His Lens is a behind-the-scenes look of what I experience as I photograph Masses and events throughout the 23 counties of the diocese. These events include anything from ordinations to school Masses, to final vows of religious sisters, and much more. This series covers more than just facts, but a deeply human experience shared from person-to-person, through the lens to the eye.
Photography has been one of my biggest passions since I was young. This gift the Lord has given me has grown tremendously alongside my desire to share it. On top of this growth, within the last couple of years, the Lord combined my two greatest passions, the Catholic faith and photography, into one.
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When I first started photographing the Mass years ago for Buckeye Catholic, my eyes were opened. It felt like I received a call within a call. I immediately fell in love. It gave me a brand new perspective. I began to witness others experiencing Mass and was moved by the heart of Jesus for His Church. Now, I want to give you the behind-the-scenes of my personal experience.
With the new school year well underway, I want to bring you to a moment captured last year at St. Mary School, one of our Catholic elementary schools in German Village.
The Schultüte, also known as the “school cone,” is given to incoming first graders to ease transition into primary school. The cone is filled with many sweet treats and notes of encouragement as the students take the next step in their academic journey.
With feet swinging and little voices chatting as the rest of the children excitedly waited for the first graders to take their seats up front, St. Mary Church sat restless. I glided as close as I could get towards the front right aisle, aiming to photograph the first graders receiving their cones from pastor Father Tim Lynch from the side.
The church contained many warm tones, filled with caramel-like colors, rich in amber and maple. I prepared the camera by offsetting the warmth ever so slightly with cool tones, creating a color balance in the viewfinder.
Bishop Earl Fernandes started with a few words of thanksgiving and encouragement. The excitement was palpable. The first graders, though nervous, stared greedily at the table of cones filled with goodies in front of them.
It was time. The first-grade teacher stepped up to the ambo with a bright smile on her face, ready to announce the names of her new class. Father Lynch took his place on the floor in front of the altar, cone in hand. I readied my camera, adjusted the light and prepared for the precious moments.
The announcing began. One by one, the beloved first graders stepped boldly out of their seats, walked confidently up the middle aisle, and grasped a cone bigger than themselves. Being in the front right aisle, I mainly captured side profiles of Father Lynch and the children. The light pouring in from the stained-glass windows behind them provided ample natural light, but something didn’t feel right.
Side profiles are good, but I know there’s more to this interaction. I’m not satisfied, so I started to move. A note about photography is being flexible and on your feet at all times is not an option; it’s a necessity. I shifted to the back of the church, constantly turning back to check the angle, seeing how the light and facial expressions changed and how much more of a reaction I was getting.
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Once I arrived at the rear of the center aisle, the moment presented itself. Father Lynch’s reactions to the students, priceless. Grinning behind the camera at the energy in the room, I got a front-row seat to this spiritual father’s joy at presenting the students he cared for with wonderful gifts. Isn’t that how our Heavenly Father looks at us too? He constantly wants to give us good gifts and for us to walk toward Him confidently.
This photo of Fr. Lynch became one of the most viewed and interacted-with photos on social media of all of 2025 for the Diocese of Columbus. We are drawn to the purity and wholehearted nature of the event, seeing the immense joy on Father Lynch’s face as a student bounding with excitement approaches to receive her cone. The bright colors and rich tones of St. Mary Church bring a comforting feeling as the viewer takes in the image. The softness of the background and the playfulness of the animals on the cone gives way to the inner child in all of us. It’s no surprise why people keep coming back to this image; we are all His children in the end.
‘Through His Lens’ is a column in The Catholic Times documenting the personal experience of diocesan photographer and team member of the Diocese of Columbus Office of Communications, Sarah Lightle.