It is good to take a moment at either of these sites to pray that God’s mercy and compassion will be with migrants and orphans within our world today.īecause of her work in New Orleans, Haughery was the second woman in United States history to have a statue erected to her honor. Francis Xavier Cabrini in the courtyard standing as a memorial to her mission and work there. The site now exists as a posh apartment complex but there is still a statue of St. Still, before the well-known site on Esplanade Avenue, Cabrini founded an orphanage right in the heart of the French Quarter, at 817 St. Yet, it is important to know that until 1959 that same site was an orphanage for abandoned children in the city. Many who are from New Orleans know Cabrini High School, which is a long-time staple of education in the city. Within three years of migrating to the United States, she came to New Orleans in 1892 with a mission to help poor Italian immigrants in the city. One great historical figure who has a deep and abiding connection to New Orleans is St. On this second pilgrimage day, the primary focal points are sites that connect us with the city’s great tradition of engaging in the corporal works of mercy, well-known cemeteries, and some other great cultural sites and experiences. Recall that all pilgrimages intend to deepen our relationship with Jesus, leading us toward our eternal, heavenly destination. So, it is a fantastic thing to continue our New Orleans pilgrimage into a second day. I thought that might be of interest to you.Any pilgrim to New Orleans probably feels as though one day in this great city is not enough.
PS- FYI, my Interior Landscape Series (see right hand column with gallery) are about being a young mother, a domestic life within 4 walls. So in that sense I am excited for you! More power to you. Maybe motherhood is an opportunity to give depth and to inform us artists, however it manifests itself in the artwork. So in essence, I could not have painted "Flight" without the keen (and maybe even painful) experiences of being a mother. My spin on the subject matter is about the sacred role of parenthood, how parents need to move with inspiration to protect our children. The latter moments will be the moments that really do count in the long run as I hear reports of children whom I have watch grow to maturity and whose parents are those I wish to emulate- they almost unanimously revere and remember those moments above any as true meaningful anchors in their lives.Ī relevant note is that "Flight" was painted through the eyes of a mother of 4 children, 3 of which are teenagers, so being a mother has served to inform my art. It would have helped me release much better and assuage my tendency to retreat directly into my studio to get a jump on a late night session rather than maybe spending a few lingering and precious moments at bedtime with the kids first or taking a break for a mommy-daughter smoothie run or something. I wish I had read that years ago because the way she put it really hit me.
I don't know if it would strike you the same way it did me, but she said that while in the matter of making short term and long term goals, of all the funny things to do is to decide what you want written on your epitaph, how you want to be remembered- if you want to be remembered as a painter who was a wonderful human being & loving parent, this epitaph might serve to keep us on target and comfort us when we put our families first, despite pressures, deadlines and outward demands.
You know, I read a great quote in a book by Jackie Battenfield recently called "The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love" with regard to this very topic.
Regarding your comments about being a mom and an artist, it is indeed a perennial struggle. Thank you four your interest in the painting and for your comment on my blog.