Brother Michael (Mickey) O’Neill McGrath, OSFS, wrote an icon for the Jesuit Prison Education Network. We find it beautiful and are so grateful for his gift. Here’s Br. McGrath’s explanation of the image:
Knowledge and Creativity, symbolized by the book, are great liberators of the human spirit, symbolized here by the bird resting on the open pages of the book. The body of the bird is orange, the typical color of a prison uniform; while the bird’s wing is the color of human flesh, suggesting that the human spirit cannot be contained by uniforms and bars and is capable of soaring high to new heights. The central prison bar has become a leafy vine symbolic of wisdom-stretching upward from the book, in contrast to the rigid black prison bars. Its green color suggests the ongoing potential for new life, new growth, and new self-awareness that lives in every human heart. The bright blue sky and white clouds suggest a new day filled with promise; and the sun rises inside the prison cell.
Knowledge and Creativity, symbolized by the book, are great liberators of the human spirit, symbolized here by the bird resting on the open pages of the book. The body of the bird is orange, the typical color of a prison uniform; while the bird’s wing is the color of human flesh, suggesting that the human spirit cannot be contained by uniforms and bars and is capable of soaring high to new heights. The central prison bar has become a leafy vine symbolic of wisdom-stretching upward from the book, in contrast to the rigid black prison bars. Its green color suggests the ongoing potential for new life, new growth, and new self-awareness that lives in every human heart. The bright blue sky and white clouds suggest a new day filled with promise; and the sun rises inside the prison cell.How to help
You can help support our efforts to recognize the humanity of our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated by donating through this site. When you submit a donation, use the pull down menu to select JPEN.
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