Ministry
Images of hope
F
ather David Kelly, CPPS, executive director of the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation in Chicago, once wrote: “We must create communities of hope where we recognize that our lives are intertwined with one other and that what affects one, affects us all. This ethos — the interconnectedness of all — is at the heart of our spirituality that calls us to be ambassadors of reconciliation.” As you know, our Front Porch Community Healing Center opened this past November, and it has brought many curious neighbors inside to see how the old community grocery and liquor store has been transformed. [See the Spring 2023 issue of Sharing & Caring for an article about The Front Porch.] The first few months were wonderful welcoming new friends inside, but something was missing. The space is beautiful, but those white cinder block walls were stark and colorless! So we called on our artist instructor, Alberto Alaniz, and a youth artist, Kathleen Ilarraza (the “granddaughter” of Father Kelly), and creative energies emerged! A mural team of youth and staff gathered, sharing ideas and sketches and began designing the layout. Alberto reflected on the initial brainstorming process: “Love, hospitality, hope, healing and a strong sense of community were important expressions 8
Sharing & Caring
of what the team felt PBMR stood for in this community and what our mural should give voice and challenge to in these dire times,” he said. So the design incorporates both the pain of loss and the hope of a new day, of woundedness and hands open to forgiveness and healing, of the tree of life and the balloons flying high, remembering loved ones lost to violence! Alberto added: “The skyline became a source of light, represented Youth artists paint the mural; Holly O’Hara photo. by candles, shinI feel so happy and blessed ing core values into a city in to have had this opportunity need of healing.” The little to work on this collaborative children in the mural embrace project.” one another, knowing darkAnd Janell Gosa, PBMR ness and death yet looking youth, wrote: “Art is somewith hope at the light for a thing that makes you breathe new city as they move into with a different kind of haptheir future. piness.” She was there at the As I spoke with some of the beginning, saw the value of youth artists after they comkeeping together with the projpleted this amazing mural, ect and can now celebrate the you could feel the impact this success of the masterpiece! had on them as they splashed paint, shared stories and watched their work tell of the Story by Sister Donna Liette, FamPBMR mission of LOVE! ily Forward program coordinator Kathleen reflected: “Art is a at the Precious Blood Ministry of way for me to heal, and I hope Reconciliation. This article origithis mural can help others in nally appeared at pbmr.org. Used the community feel similarly. with permission.
