An Artist's Journey: The Road to Rome

By Irene Lagan
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 10/17/02)

Father Jerome Tupa, O.S.B., has been described as a Renaissance man. He is an artist, scholar and a Benedictine monk steeped in the rich tradition of Church history. His current exhibit, titled The Road to Rome, opened on Oct. 11 at the John Paul II Cultural Center and runs through May 7, 2003.

As monk, Father Tupa’s religious ideals inform his talents as an artist. As an artist, his work portrays an enthusiasm, vigor and imagination that capture both a renaissance ideal and a pilgrim spirit. The Road to Rome portrays the shrines and churches of Italy that have held a privileged place for pilgrims for nearly 1,700 years. The exhibit conveys both the rich tradition of Church history, and an exuberant expression of faith, hope and joy.

The exhibit is a series of more than 50 watercolor sketches and oil paintings, arranged in a manner that recreates Father Tupa’s six-week artistic and spiritual pilgrimage beginning in Milan and culminating in Rome. This series, organized and inspired by the notion of a pilgrimage, conveys the rich tradition of the Church, retracing the steps of pilgrims throughout history who celebrated their faith places that also mark important moments and places in Church history.

Father Tupa’s journey is translated into his own unique but accessible artists’ vocabulary. Using vibrant colors and bold forms, Father Tupa communicates joy and a spirit of holy boldness. Imbued with a Catholic spiritual and religious heritage, his paintings create a both a sense of immanence and permanence to be found in the Church. At the same time, his modern style and immediate use of space have an appealing quality that invites the viewer to enter into each scene. Father Tupa’s own youthful vigor and zest for life, evidenced in his artistic expression, are contagious and uplifting.

"History is so dynamic and alive in these structures," he said. "These [Church] buildings have stood the test of time. We are just passing through. They are a testimony to the faith and to the movement of people going through."

Father Tupa said that his tour through Italy was transforming in the sense that it made him deeply aware and proud of our spiritual heritage as Catholics, both in terms of history and the communion of saints.

"This has confirmed for me the richness of our heritage," he said. "In each of these places, there was time to pray at the tombs of saints. I was with a friend recently diagnosed with cancer, and it was about praying. We need the help of so many angels and saints," he said. "It also made me question what I want to do with the time I have left on this earth. A pilgrimage is tiring. You get up day after day, have your coffee, go to work and move on. Your work builds up, just as your relationship with God builds up."

Father Tupa, who earned his doctorate in French literature, began painting as a creative outlet while working on his thesis. When a friend became aware of his talent as an artist, she arranged for his first exhibit in Paris. Upon his return to the St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, MN, Father Tupa continued to show his work in various places, including Santa Monica, CA, Akron, OH, Nice, Rome and in other places. Until last year, Father Tupa taught French at St. John’s University in Collegeville, in addition to his work as an artist.

The John Paul II Cultural Center will explore the pilgrimage theme in a series of special programs and lectures sponsored by the Intercultural Forum for Studies in Faith and Culture, the academic arm of the Cultural Center. "The Road to Rome" exhibit was made possible by the Target Corporation.

The John Paul II Cultural Center is located at 3900 Harewood Road NE, Washington, D.C. The exhibit will be open during regular museum hours: Tues.– Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun. from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call the Cultural Center at (202) 625-5400, or visit the web site at www.JP2CC.org.

Pilgrimages, a sign of the condition of the Disciples of Christ in this world, have always held an important place in the life of Christians. In the course of history, Christians have always walked to celebrate their faith in places that indicate a memory of the Lord or in sites representing important moments in the history of the Church. They have come to shrines honoring the Mother of God and to those that keep the example of the saints alive. Their pilgrimage was a process of conversion, a yearning for the intimacy with God and a trusting plea for their Material needs. For the Church, pilgrimages in all their multiple aspects, have always been a gift of grace (The Pilgrimage in the Great Jubilee, 2. Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, April 11, 1998).

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