News & Events
Christmas Show
Christmas Show - Art from the Heart, Saturday, December 11, 2010, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, 178 Nepean St. - Corner of Nepean St/Bank St. Centertown, Ottawa. Everyone is Welcome!
It is the time of year where we move forward, towards the great feast of light and love. And with those sentiments in mind, I invite you to reflect for a few moments on my story.
I traveled to Nicaragua a couple years ago to visit the magnificent country, meet some of its brilliant people, and learn about the different programs and projects that were being developed, in part via Development and Peace, which is the official international development organization of the Catholic Church. While there, we left Managua (the capital city) and drive out towards the Barrios. There we met an incredible woman named Zelinda Roccia.
Zelinda spoke candidly about the youth that she cares for and about the houses and orphanages that she founded in 1991 after her first visit to Nicaragua.
She told us of how terribly treated these youth have been, so many of them abused; often leaving there homes to find refuge in the street.
As I sat in the sun and listened to this woman’s Spanish plea, I knew that something of that moment would remain. I gazed around the courtyard and noticed a painting stretched out along the cement wall. The painting was of a woman in a red dress and Zelinda was wearing a red dress; so, I took a quick photo as a gesture of remembrance.
We were then picked up by a van full of young girls and taken out to one of their houses. It was a large place surrounded by a set of gates, and the young girls leapt from the van delighted to show us their house. We were dragged into rooms full of bunk beds and then whisked away to the orphanage's famous pet, whose name I can not spell nor remember, but for a pig he was quite well behaved.
They were so enthusiastic and after having played soccer for quite some time we had to leave. And this I will never forget. One of the girls would not let me go. She kept with me and was stalling terribly till most of my companions were past the enclosure wall. She looked at me and reached for the medal I wore around my neck and held it and said something in Spanish. I hugged her one last time and then left quickly. Around my neck I had been wearing a miraculous medal, which is a small, round piece of silver etched with a picture of the Blessed Virgin.
On the way back towards the Barrios, I repeated the girl’s words to the translator. And she said to me, "that means, you are my friend and I love you." It was at that moment that I began to understand what it is to be called to love someone. It is different from falling in love or being in love. You are quite simply, asked to love.
On the way back home our flight was delayed numerous times and consequently, we had to take an alternate route. It felt as though we were being picked up and put down in a different place. My friend and I were short on money and somewhere in the US, when I walked over to a store and riffled through some art books till I found an image that held me captive. I was full of awe. I could not understand what was happening but I took out my camera and started riffling through my photos. I knew it! It was the same picture that was painted on the wall at the orphanage. The photo was of Frida Kahlo. I had never heard of her before that moment but to my astonishment she was a painter.
All these things have stayed with me and I could not have forgotten that little girl nor the wonderful work accomplished at Los Quinchos.
The attached invitation is a show in honor of the children, Zelinda, and her project. I do hope that you will stop by and visit us on your Christmas journey, December 11, between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. At 178 Nepean St., Corner of Bank and Nepean, Downtown Ottawa.
To visit Los Quinchos directly please go to:
(http://www.losquinchos.it/index.php?language=eng)
Elizabeth Marshall, STU '96, stood in front of the massive, colorful canvas and couldn't move. It was the first time she had seen one of Jean-Paul Riopelle's paintings in person, and she was in awe... - please see article on page 18
Mary Elizabeth Marshall has recently participated in a group show of work
that has been sent to Rigomagno Italy to be part of a larger festival and
exhibition. The painting will be on display in the month of July 2008. The
title of the show is ‘Environment Canadian and Italian.’ Mary Elizabeth
Marshall submitted a work titled, “The Eternal City.”
Download the painting - [ PDF (12 Kb) ]
Thomas More College in Merrimack New Hampshire has just recently had an alumni reunion organized by Elizabeth Cossman. As part of an effort to raise money for the school an auction was held and Mary Elizabeth Marshall sold two paintings and the proceeds went to the school scholarship fund. Special thanks go out to Joanne, Cathleen and Patrick Kelly.