©2016 Lynne Horoschak, Julie Kring

The charity of Christ urges me. A while ago, I wrote an editorial on women and the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the charism. After reading this article on .famvin about the role of women in the enfleshment of the charism of Charity some 400 years ago, two artists collaborated on the image you see here. The image shows a group of women following Christ. Saint Vincent follows the women, some of whom were his inspiration, others inspired by him. The multitude of the Vincentian Family follows Saint Vincent. The incorporated text, often thought of only as the motto of the Daughters of Charity, is key to the painting’s interpretation and to the understanding of the charism:

For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. (2 Cor 5: 14-20a)

The members of the family are free to republish and share it, but please do not add or subtract from the image. A high-resolution version of the image can be accessed here.

Artists Statement

Lynne Horoschak and Julie Kring have been collaborating on artwork for the worship space at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Philadelphia for over 15 years. The Charity of Christ painting continues the collaborative effort between the artists. The work is oil on canvas, an original painting by Lynne, with Julie’s calligraphic lines denoting the figures and words. After researching the dress of the day, discussing the composition, making sketches, and prayer, we were delighted that the theme emerged in an energetic way that urges us on to be ambassadors for Christ in the manner of St. Vincent.

Artist’s Biography: Lynne Horoschak

2012 Parrish St.
Philadelphia, PA 19130 USA

Lynne Horoschak is the Program Director Professor Emeritus (ret) of the MA in Art Education with an Emphasis in Special Populations at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia. This one-of-a-kind program was launched in 2008.

Lynne taught art in the School District of Philadelphia for 36 years before being appointed Chair of Art Education at Moore and subsequently the Director of the Graduate Program. Recently, Lynne received the Outstanding Pennsylvania Higher Education Art Educator Award, the Picasso Award from the Public Citizens for Children and Youth, the Bob and Penny Fox Distinguish Professor Award from Moore College of Art & Design and The ArtWell Visionary Leader Award.

She enjoys making art using oil paint, watercolor, and mixed media.

Artist’s Biography: Julie Ann Kring

7735 Devon St.
Philadelphia, PA 19118 USA

Julie Kring received a B.S. from Kutztown University and an M. Ed. from Penn State University in the field of Art Education with a concentration in Museum Education.

As an art educator for 25 years, Julie has taught in public and private schools in Coatesville, PA, Philadelphia, PA, Seattle, WA and more recently, Camden, NJ. Working with UrbanPromise, a non-profit organization serving the children and youth of Camden, Julie began an art program for the K – 12th grade students, providing them with opportunities to discover their artistic potential and exhibit their work in a variety of locations throughout the region.

Julie currently combines her own art career with working as a teaching artist in area schools, including DePaul Catholic, in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. She also enjoys leading workshops on spirituality and art, and helping with the preparation of the liturgical environment for her home parish, St. Vincent de Paul, in Germantown.

Other artworks by Lynne and Julie are used on .famvin here. The original painting is now displayed at the Provincial House of the Congregation of the Mission in Philadelphia, USA.