Vincent – “The journey of and to the Poor”

Art is open to many interpretations. Barry Moriarity CM reflects on different interpretations of an African depiction of a native artist, Chrisantus, entitled “Saint Vincent on the Road of the Poor in Africa.”

“The artist begins this depiction with an African village. At the top of  the panel coming out of the village is the winding road of the poor. Chrisantus  believes that Vincent and all of us who follow him are on this winding road of the poor, and as we journey with him, “we meet all those are who forced to travel this path.”…

“This was Chrisantus’ interpretation. However, over the years that  I lived with this image of Saint Vincent I began to interpret it another way.  I think that the work could also be called “Saint Vincent on the Road to the Poor,” as it depicts his autobiographical journey, and his personal and
spiritual road to the poor….

“In a third part he writes… “Something further can be said about this image. Several years ago I read Bernard Pujo’s Vincent de Paul: The Trailblazer, and I was struck by the  title of Chapter three, “Odyssey on the Barbary Coast.” Pujo constructs his narrative of Vincent’s captivity in the context of the epic journey. In many ways Vincent’s story is a variation of the hero’s epic journey….

He concludes, “Vincent’s ambition, his drive to succeed, was refocused into  an ambition to liberate the poor from their degradation and enforced  enslavement. On his return from the epic journey, he saw the poor as his  masters. He, and we, their servant.”

I personally found much food for thought and prayer in each of these “readings” How about you?

Moriarty, W. Barry C.M. (2012) “The Journey of and to the Poor,” Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 31: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol31/iss1/6