Advent Reflections

This advent reflection is a part of a 4-part series featuring the mayor, the bishop, Camden's youth, and myself put together but Hopeworks and Brother Mickey's studio.

We visit the studio of Brother Mickey McGrath in our neighborhood to explore Advent in our lives.


check it out:

Merion Mercy Chapel

Deep into the woods far through the forest there sits the Merion Mercy Academy in Pennsylvania. There full of natural light Brother Mickey McGrath has installed what i can only describe as the most striking of his projects to date.

For those of you who may not realize it, Brother Mickey of the Bee Hive Studio has influenced a whole era of religious imaging. His ecumenical approach is pierced through by his pastel and passionate pallet with the deepest sacramental sense.

I just can't get enough of his work.

At Merion Mercy the chapel is filled with portraits of Women's Saints. They are HUGE. Sixteen larger than life women of justce!!! The detail of Mother Theresa's lips, Mary's braided native lady hair, Sister Thea, Dorothy Day, Veronica, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Cabrini, Drexel.......

These portraits are a collection for Brother Mickey's book entitled Women of Mercy combined with the prose of Kathy Coffey.

Click here for slide show

Brother Mickey recently moved his studio onto my block. He can see the greenhouse as he looks out his studio. When imagination and justice come together, art will save us.