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Sept.
16,
2004 |
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| Painting
allows Sr. Cauley
to express her faith |
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| Sister
uses artistic talent
to help others frame their vocations |
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By Denise
Konkol
Special to the Catholic Herald |
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| ARTIST IN RESIDENCE — Salvatorian
Sr. Karlyn Cauley stands in the hallway of the
art studio at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School,
where her watercolor paintings are displayed. Sr.
Cauley mixes her artistic talent with her new role
as a member of her community's "New Membership
Team" to attract young women to the religious
life. "Our best members have not yet come … so
our future is secure," says Sr. Cauley. (Catholic
Herald photo by Sam Lucero) |
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MILWAUKEE — A glance at one of Sr. Karlyn Cauley’s
watercolor prints may reveal her love for folk art, where
intricate details meet simple and primitive themes. Yet
a closer look will tell the observer more about the artist
and her care for her calling to this art form.
Housed on the third floor of Divine Savior Holy Angels
High School in Milwaukee, the art studio where Sr. Cauley
and several other artists display their works leave many
who come to browse and buy feeling as though they’ve
just been praying.
“People come through, and feel a great contentment
in silence here,” she said, adding, “They
often walk through the studio, spend at least a half
an hour
looking. They often end up telling you about their life,
when in most other circumstances they may not feel the
need to share their story.”
This is not a coincidence, according to Sr. Cauley, who
views her own talent as calling within her community
of Salvatorian sisters.
“My best time and talent is to paint — it’s
the first thing I do when I come in everyday. There is
always a deep sense of God when I paint.”
Sr. Cauley has been a part of the studio since it began
20 years ago, and has become nationally known for her
folk art, selling her pieces in the studio as well as
at fairs, galleries and at more intimate “tea programs” where
smaller groups can gather to view and purchase her artwork.
The proceeds are then returned to her religious community.
Most recently, Sr. Cauley has taken on a newer role as
a member of the Sisters of the Divine Savior “New
Membership Team” along with Sr. Mary Lee Grady
and Sr. Carol Jean Zais. For her, it has been a role
that allows her to apply the creative and artistic talents
she has developed through painting, to help frame others’ vocations.
Because her talent as an artist has taken her into the “outside
world,” Sr. Cauley said, “I can be very creative
and I can apply my creativity to new places where young
adults want to learn more about our lives (as sisters),
want to visit, and want to find out how their gifts might
be used.”
“People need to meet the sisters under new circumstances,” Sr.
Cauley added, as she points out, “The old sources
of vocations have dried up — people have smaller
families, they don’t meet sisters in any visible
way, unless they look for them through vocation centers.
Within the family, there are rarely other relatives who
are religious sisters who can generate interest among
other girls — that’s just not where we’re
at today.”
Cauley also pointed out that as the habit disappeared,
so did the identity of the sisters in society, and fewer
people know sisters on a casual basis. She felt the goal
of the new membership team therefore was to reintroduce
the religious sister to girls and young women in a setting
where they can witness “the example of a generous
spirit and inclusive hospitality, prayer and growth in
spirituality and how life can be shared in common and
uncommon ways.”
Sr. Cauley suggested organizing a meeting with parents
among the parishes, perhaps as a panel, to invite questions
and provide answers and information. The Divine Savior
sisters also have “Come and See” programs
where women can come and experience community living,
prayer and leisure activities and meet with other women
who have recently entered the community and those who
are considering religious life.
Although Sr. Cauley knows the numbers of women committing
to religious life has been declining, she finds hope
in the younger generation.
“We have extremely generous young volunteer adults,
and they want to tithe their time and give back to the
church.
Out of some of those, they find this life uniquely supporting,” she
said.
She explained the importance in showing young people
that a religious vocation doesn’t necessarily mean
one never leaves the walls of a church. Often, her work
as an artist has spawned the questions from people who
normally wouldn’t broach the subject.
“In a program, people like to learn about what
I do and oftentimes they’ll ask the question they
wanted to know about a Catholic sister and it won’t
seem out of place,” she said.
Even though she no longer participates in outdoor fairs,
Sr. Cauley also remembered many people initiating a conversation
based on what made a piece “happen,” by looking
over her shoulder as she worked in her booth, and becoming
more engaged in a discussion of her role as a sister.
Regardless of where the conversation began, however,
she believed that it was important to listen to the person
seeking information, particularly the young.
“If we aren’t bringing in the new generation and
listening to what their requests are, we’re missing
an opportunity. I love young people. They have dignity
and ideas and should be listened to,” she stressed.
Sr. Cauley’s optimism in her vocation is clearly
framed in her artwork; bright watercolors often featuring
florals and burgeoning trees tell of growth and creation
in God’s world. It is a philosophy that is now,
too, framing her vocation as she calls others forth to
consider the life of a religious sister. As she relayed
a favorite saying, “Our best members have not yet
come … so our future is secure.” |
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