June 23, 2011

 

from JesusInLoveInfo
to almaloveslupe@gmail.com
date Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 8:23 PM
subject another letter of support for Our Lady and Alma Lopez

Hi Alma,

I am forwarding another letter of support -- from a Catholic who sees your art as faithful. I read your new quotes in the Irish Examiner. You are doing a great job!

--Kitt
___________________
Kittredge Cherry

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: JCF <noreply-comment@blogger.com>
To: kitt@jesusinlove.org
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:33:50 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Jesus in Love Blog] New comment on Our Lady & Queer Saints art attacked as blasphemy ....
JCF has left a new comment on your post "Our Lady & Queer Saints art attacked as blasphemy ...":

My message (to the two hate petitions):

"Ignore the ignorant bigots: support this FAITHFUL art

To University College Cork:

I want to express my solidarity with you, as you face this attack by ignorant bigots.

They CLAIM to speak for ALL Catholics, ALL Christians, when they're really just a TINY minority of reactionaries who try to be "even more Catholic than the Pope" (which is tough to do w/ the current Bishop of Rome, but somehow they succeed).

They are "sound and fury, signifying nothing." They are the last of a dying breed of fearful hate-mongers. They may threaten you, but if you stay true to Art AND to Faith, you and your principles will LONG outlive them.

Keep the Faith!

An actual Catholic (by God's GRACE---which the creators of this hate campaign try to shut out),
JC Fisher"

 

 

from Michael Swanson
to almaloveslupe@gmail.com
date Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 1:02 PM
subject Your work is beautiful

What little I can see of your work online (which I first encountered PZ Myers' blog "Pharyngula") is gorgeous! I can only see reverence for women and Mary. I'm sorry that so many people feel Mary's body, or any woman's body, is something blasphemous or shameful.

Keep doing what you do!

Michael Swanson
Portland, Oregon

 

 

from JesusInLoveInfo
to almaloveslupe@gmail.com
date Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 12:12 PM
subject Fwd: Truth isn't blasphemy! (email supporting Alma Lopez)

Hi Alma,

I got some of my friends to write letters of support for your Irish exhibit. I am forwarding a copy of a wonderful email "Truth isn't blasphemy!" that Trudie Barreras send to University College Cork.

With gratitude for your art and your courage,

Kitt
___________________
Kittredge Cherry
http://www.jesusinlove.blogspot.com/
http://jesusinlove.org/

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Trudie Barreras
To: jesusinloveinfo@aol.com
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:58:40 -0400
Subject: Fwd: Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender
When I tried modifying the message, I got this back -- so probably it didn't get delivered. So, I used the direct e-mail address to the University College Cork, and this is the message I sent:

To Whom it May Concern:

I join Kittredge Cherry, author of Art That Dares and other courageous and innovative spiritual works, in urging you not to surrender to the insistence of the reactionary elements of the Catholic Church in canceling the proposed presentation of Alma Lopez and her splendid work.

Far from seeing blasphemy in the work that Ms. Lopez and others present, I see a deeper and -- yes, PURER -- understanding of the meaning of Mary as the mother of GOD MADE HUMAN. When visiting in Mexico ten years ago, I acquired a small statuette at a "Nativity Market" of Mary nursing the Infant Jesus while riding a donkey, obviously depicting the flight into Egypt. I was deeply moved by this statue, and have titled Her "Our Lady of Travels to Life with Reality". I will attach a photograph of it here.

I mention this to point out that some reactionary member of my own church congregation, when I attempted to share this icon, was "scandalized" and insisted on covering Mary with a poncho made out of tissue. This is the same level of total misunderstanding of the reality of who God is and of God's presence in human history through Jesus that the "conservatives" challenging your presentation demonstrate. I pray that you will not surrender to their own blasphemous denial that God truly loves ALL humankind, and that the reality of God's presence amongst us far exceeds the stilted and fantasized ideas of "purity" that they are so obsessive about.

Sincerely,

Trudie Barreras

I also attached a newer photo of "Our Lady of Travels" that I'll attach here. Smile. Love and prayers, Trudie

Mary

 

 

from Ave Maria Shop
to almaloveslupe@gmail.com
date Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 11:30 AM
subject Consider this

J.M.J.

My dear fellow Human Being,

There are those who create art to mimic their emotion, the Most Blessed and Holy Virgin Mary whether or not you believe in Her is Our Mother.
Please re-consider what you are doing this your talent. Your gift of Art is not something that You developed or self taught yourself. It is in fact a Gift from God and to be used in such a way that would help others find the road to Heaven.

Please search your soul and retract this picture from your portfolio. Satan has enough power and ugliness in this world already, please do not add your eternal soul to his list of names that will forever burn in pain and unhappiness.

I thank you for reading this and prayers will be offered tonight for you at our Rosary Group.

May God have Mercy on our world.

Ava

 

from Claire Blennerhassett
to almaloveslupe@gmail.com
date Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 10:00 AM
subject Irish Blog on Mary

Hi Alma,

Greetings from Ireland. If nothing else, the church is getting your name out there and giving some publicity, I wouldn't have heard about this exhibition were it not for the controversy! Unfortunately, I'm 200 miles from Cork, and don't think I'll make the exhibition since I only heard of it today, otherwise I would have been there in a flash.

I love the image. I think it is a beautiful and strong female image. Disregard the negative commentary!

I grew up in an extremely Catholic family, but consider my sense of spirituality to be housed well outside the "machine" facade of organised religion. The more you see how women are ostracised from active inclusion in religion, and the editing out of certain bibles deemed unfit, and the almost non existent knowledge of Asherah (whom I only recently discovered myself), it really opens your eyes to the "organisation".

I am a theatre practitioner here, and have so many questions and conflicts within myself about religion, but the concept of the universal Mother, be it Mother Earth, Mother Nature etc is nurturing and comforting. I hope to develop some work around these issues in the future.

Below is the link to a blog with some interesting comments that I found today, so having seen your website and your request for any articles I thought I would send this to you, though you may already have it.

http://johnbarrysblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/irelanducc-blasphemous-exhibit-our-lady.html

Also, from UCC Student's Union: http://www.corkstudentnews.com/news/the-blasphemous-exhibition-what-youre-saying-21275

Love and Light,

Claire.

 

 

from Yvonne Aburrow yaburrow
to almaloveslupe@gmail.com
date Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 4:24 AM
subject Fwd: letter of support for Alma Lopez exhibition

Dear Alma,

Just to let you know that I have sent an email of support to University College Cork about your forthcoming exhibition there, as suggested by Kittredge Cherry http://jesusinlove.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-lady-queer-saints-art-attacked-as.html

I hope the exhibition goes ahead. Thanks for making these wonderful and empowering sacred images.

best wishes
Yvonne

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yvonne Aburrow
Date: Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 8:39 AM
Subject: letter of support for Alma Lopez exhibition
To: hispanicstudies@ucc.ie

Dear University College Cork,

I think it is wonderful that your university is hosting “Our Lady and Other Queer Santas” by Latina lesbian artist Alma Lopez.

I am a Unitarian and a Wiccan, and a fan of JesusInLove.org, which supports LGBT spirituality and the arts. Thank you for showing the work of this brave artist who is re-envisioning the sacred in life-giving ways. Queer sacred images are needed now because conservatives are using religious rhetoric to justify discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

The split between sexuality and spirituality really needs healing, because it is life-denying - and Lopez is healing that divide.

It’s important to imagine sacred figures in new and different ways because it empowers people to grow in their relationship with each other and with the Divine.

“Our Lady and Other Queer Santas” is a sacred event that affirms LGBT Christians and other LGBT people of faith. In the name of religious and artistic freedom, please do not give in to critics who want you to cancel these events.

Thank you for your courage and vision.

Yours sincerely,

--
Yvonne Aburrow
~~
http://yaburrow.googlepages.com/

 

From: Logical Calculus [mailto:logicalcalculus@gmail.com]
Sent: 23 June 2011 18:53
To: Finnegan, Nuala
Subject: A Friendly Note

Dear Professor Nuala,

Just a quick note. Don't worry!  While your heart may sink when
hearing this is about the religious controversy, I will be brief. Our
Lady of Guadaloupe is of great intellectual significance to catholic
christians because She was manifestly pregnant in this apparition.
This is against a background of a child sacrifice religion at the time
when male children had their hearts ripped out and offered to the 'Sun
God'. On one such ritual day, 40,000 were murdered in this manner.
When She appeared, this long-standing religion vdissolved and 9
million persons came to profess the Name of Jesus in 8 years.
Therefore She, in Her manifestation as the Lady of Guadaloupe, is a
leading prolife devotion and pastoral icon. That is one of Her
significances today as catholic christians hope for a world where life
is protected from the moment of conception - the moment of ensoulment.
Thank you.


www.catholictv.com
www.saltandlighttv.org
www.gloria.tv
www.newoxfordreview.org
wwww.newadvent.org

May the New Eve, Mary, the mystical Wife of the New Adam, Jesus, be
honoured. Amen.

 

 

From: rory o'hanlon [mailto:rmpoh7@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: 23 June 2011 18:20
To: Finnegan, Nuala
Subject: Chicano conference

Dear Professor Finnegan,

I am most disappointed that the Chicano Conference in UCC this week is being permitted to include events that are blatently insulting to the people of Ireland and to the Catholic Faith, which is still the faith of the majority of Irish people. I refer to the "art" exhibition entitled: "Our Lady and Other Queer Santas", as well as a book signing by Alma Lopez.

While I believe that foreign students should be welcome in Ireland, and should be free to celebrate their own culture, they most definitely should not be welcome to or permitted to insult this country, its people and the religion that the majority of its people practice.

The above mentioned events are blasphemous, which probably makes them illegal. Although the present government intends to remove our blasphemy laws, they are still in force at this time. And whatever about their legal status, these events are not welcome in Ireland.

As far as I know, UCC is mainly funded by Irish people through taxes. I find it entirely unacceptable that the college should facillitate foreign students in insulting what is dear to its benefactors.

Finally, to hold a blasphemous exhibition in the O'Rahilly building is an insult to the memory of the great Alfred O'Rahilly, who would never have allowed such an offensive exhibition in UCC.

Your sincerely,
Rory O'Hanlon.

 

 

From: Frank Duff [mailto:frank_duff@hotmail.com] 
Sent: 23 June 2011 22:38
To: Finnegan, Nuala
Subject: Blasphemous exhibit

Dear Ms. Finnegan,

My alma mater fills me with dismay.

The connection between destructive embryo research now taking place at UCC and the blasphemous representation of Our Lady of Guadalupe on display in the O'Rahilly building is telling. The black sash on this traditional image of Our Lady represents that she is with Child.

Ill-treating the sacred in these ways does not bode well. May God have mercy on all involved.

Fr. Eamonn McCarthy BE (Civil 1985) Dip Phil, MRICS, BD, STL
Coachford,
Co. Cork

From: Quinn, J.P. 
Sent: 23 June 2011 12:57
To: Finnegan, Nuala
Subject: Support

Nuala,
I just wanted to offer my support for what is obviously a difficult week for Hispanic Studies.
I have a margin of an idea of what you are going through as I am recieving a lot of calls this week from so called "christians" in relation to the exhibition. The reason I am getting the calls is because when you type UCC into google the Visitors' Centre is the first phone number that comes up.
I just wanted to say I emphatise with what you are going through as the volume of nasty calls we have had this week I am sure is only dwarfed by calls your own department is recieving..
I wish ye the best with the exhibition and I hope all returns to normality soon,
Regards
JP

JP Quinn
Head of UCC Visitors' Centre
Office of Media and Communications,
University College Cork