Seeking Justice & Redemption, Shining Hope & Love
People associated with the Germantown Systemic Change Initiative (Philadelphia, PA, USA) often find creative ways to address continuing structural issues that surround impoverished people and frustrate their attempts to contribute to the commonweal.

A very special art exhibit featuring work by men imprisoned for life
and/or on death row, organized to commemorate Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia, will be presented at St. Vincent de Paul parish in the Germantown section of Philadelphia (PA, USA). The exhibit is meant to stimulate conversation.

There is an opening reception on Friday, August 28,2015 7-9 PM
St. Vincent’s Church 109 E. Price St. Philadelphia, PA 19144
Following the reception, artwork will remain in the church throughout the month.

Parishioner Mary Anne Campellone writes,

Gerry Givnish, a St. Vincent’s parishioner started Art For Justice. He also taught art classes to the incarcerated. He brought the idea to Fr. Sy (Peterka, C.M., the pastor) of having St. Vincent’s house this exhibit by men on death row/solitary confinement – it would be religious artwork. St. Vincent’s and Friends Central Meeting house are the only 2 sites chosen for this exhibit. Daniel Gwynn was asked to create an image that would be made into the poster and would be the central piece of the exhibit.
Fr. Sy passed this idea onto the Art & Environment committee of the parish – thus parishioner Julie Kring-Schreifels and I became involved. We felt it would be a good opportunity to include Father Tim Lyons, C.M. and Laura Ford and get info out about their Prison Ministry/Ex-offenders Re-Entry project.

The works of art will be in the church sanctuary beginning with the evening of the reception from August 28th through the month of September. There will also be some other works of art that are the property of the Prison Ministry itself on display alongside an image of Pope Francis with some of his quotes relating to the theme.

Stop by and see the art exhibit at St. Vincent’s Church, 109 East Price Street, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Work may be viewed during their weekend Masses: 4PM Saturday; 9AM and 11AM Sunday.

See our 2013 story on art by people stigmatized as “disabled” hosted by DePaul USA’s Germantown (Philadelphia) project.

Prison “re-entry” programs are now part of the Vincentian Family’s approach to systemic change in many locations.