By: Rachel Capone Helmich
My cousins Rachel, and Joe are amazing tattoo artists from The Burgh'. Throughout my life, they've asked if I would ever get a tattoo. Until the last couple of years, there was never an image that inspired me so much to get permanently engraved into my skin! Over time, I began to realize though we may have beliefs inside of our hearts that give us strength and even if we can feel the love and strength of family and friends regardless of distance, it can be all too easy to get discouraged in the day to day.
I had lots of ideas swirling around in my mind, but they all kept boiling down to one word; "Beloved". This word is a reminder to find my identity in God, and reminds me to love others the best that I can, in light of this identity that they too carry.
I mulled over my ideas and sketches during my 9 hour flight to visit my mom and family in Maui this past September. From this point, it took on a life of it's own, and became a beautiful communal process involving God, and my most beloved family, and dearest friends.
I shared with my cousin Rachel, my idea, and also some other elements of inspiration that I would like to include in the image. I wanted to somehow capture the essence of my favorite artist, the inspiring German wood engraver and lithographer, Fritz Eichenberg. His work embodies the love of the Catholic Worker movement, which focuses on the Works of Mercy: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, and bury the dead.
Eichenberg spent time with Dorothy Day and the New York City CW Community. Dorothy had sought him out to do artwork for the CW Newspaper, knowing of his artwork of characters and images from great works of literature such as Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, The Brother's Karamazov, and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. He says of this literature 'They made me aware of how universal the suffering of mankind is, especially for the poor and the oppressed and made me conscious of the power of love, and of the agonies and elation of creative life.' He had a heart for people and is able to beautifully reveal the inner truth of the characters he depicted' (Works of Mercy preface- Robert Ellsberg). I love the way he captures the love, compassion, indifference, anguish and longing revealed through the human face.
On art, he shares 'I am happy that my work finds the intended target, the human heart', and 'It is my hope that in a small way I have been able to contribute to peace through compassion and also to the recognition, as George Fox has said three centuries ago, "that there is that of God in everyone", a conception of the sanctity of human life which precludes all wars and violence'. I think this goal has been accomplished!
My cousin Rachel was immediately taken by Eichenberg's 'Christ of the Breadlines', which is also my favorite. In this work, Jesus stands in the middle of men waiting in line for food. Light is radiating from his head, exemplifying the light and love surrounding Him. I love how this image displays Christ's love for us all, especially those in need, as we all are in some way.
I also wanted to include elements of my favorite Saint, St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower). She speaks of feeling as a weak little bird in her life, which allowed the space for need of God.
My dear friends, Gina and Becca contributed their different fonts, from their very own handwriting, which is so special to me! Then Rachel, with her amazing God-given talent, took all of these concepts, and created this beautiful piece of art, that I am so thankful and honored to wear. The day of my tattoo, Rachel had added a dove and a hummingbird to the sketch, which I loved!
After seeing the finished image, Gina shared with me, that the hummingbird also reminded her of her incredibly special and beautiful mom, Teresa D'Urso, who passed away, and who is always alive and flying in our hearts. So, I think of these two beautiful and special women who share the same name! The 'O' in the middle, represents Christ, the light that radiates from his love, and that only God's love will fill the void in my heart, which Dorothy Day refers to as 'the long loneliness'. The mirror image of the letters remind me that we are all reflections of God's image. I hold these special people and meanings closely, reminded of the embrace of God, family, and friends as my eyes fall on this image daily. For this, I am so grateful.
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