George R. Hoelzeman chosen president of ACLS

Published: September 8, 2022

By Association of Consultants for Liturgical Space

Liturgical artist George R. Hoelzeman has been named president of the Association of Consultants for Liturgical Space for its 2022-25 term.

George R.Hoelzeman of Sacred Heart Church in Morrilton has been elected president of the Association of Consultants for Liturgical Space (ACLS). As president, he will represent ACLS with the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC) and the SouthwestLiturgical Conference (SWLC). His three-year term extends to 2025.

ACLS members are liturgical consultants, artists, architects, and related professionals from a variety of fields and backgrounds including the arts, art history, architecture, education, liturgy,and pastoral work. The Association has an international membership.

Members include liturgical design consultants who provide education on the importance, role and value of liturgy, and the impact of church buildings and Art on worship. Allied Members include acoustical engineers and sound experts, architects, designers of liturgical furnishings, fabric artists, iconographers, interior designers, painters, stained glass artists, sculptors, wood workers,and more. Affiliate Members include corporate entities, not-for-profit organizations and institutions contributing to the creation of beautiful and meaningful places of worship. The organization also includes institutions such as colleges and universities, schools of theology, liturgical associations and other related groups.

Hoelzeman is a liturgical artist, designer and consultant with degrees in religion, early modern history and medieval art history. He holds certificates from the Institute for Liturgical Consultancy (Catholic Theological Union, Chicago) and Liturgiam provehens Architectura (Architecture for Liturgy, St. Benedict Abbey, St. Joseph, Kan. He has contributed to various liturgical, theological and historical publications including Traditional Building, the Encyclopedia of Holy People, the Encyclopedia of Medieval Pilgrimage and Georgetown University’s EnVision Church. His liturgical art has received two BENEAwards and recognition by Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA). He is also included in the Arkansas Library Association’s Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. He is also an industry member of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, an Oblate of St. Benedict and a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher.

He studied for monastic priesthood at St. Joseph Seminary College and taught art, art history, religion and world history at Catholic High School in Little Rock. He continues to lead workshops and retreats on liturgical art and architecture.