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PeacePrints is an expression and a reflection of the love I've received over the past twenty-five years from what I thought was a one-time visit to the town of Assisi, Italy, the birthplace of St. Clare and St. Francis.
It all began on the day of my arrival. Taking a walk through the olive groves, I came upon a small church. As soon as I walked into the tiny chapel, I had the urge to touch the walls. Drawn like a magnet, the side of my body snuggled up to the cold, damp stone. My entire being melted as I felt myself merge with the granite. I wanted to stay forever. I have no idea how much time passed before I heard the rattling of keys and looked to see a friar pointing at the door. I felt like a child being pulled away from the beach. Reluctantly, I got up and walked outside, startled to see the night sky. How long had I been there? I have no idea. The next day I learned that as a young man St. Francis had rebuilt this church, San Damiano, stone by stone. His essence was still there.
During the following days, I walked the streets, climbed the stairs, visited the churches and the place where legend has it that St. Francis was born. In his surroundings I began to sense the person of Francis. I felt uplifted and content. A sense of peace permeated the crisp, cold air and bounced off the stone buildings. It was ethereal yet palpable.
On the final day of that first momentous journey to Assisi, at a particularly painful time in my life, I said a simple and deeply felt prayer asking for St. Francis’ intercession, "Please heal my heart". I remember the prayer years later because it was so simple and so fervently meant.
A few months after returning home, my life began to brighten. That following summer while backpacking with friends in the Marble Mountains of northern California, a strange phenomenon happened: I began seeing heart shapes in the clouds, hearts in my food, heart shaped embers in the fire, heart shaped stones--hearts everywhere! And now twenty plus years later, I still see surprising and unexpected hearts in something, somewhere almost every day. I believe they’re Francis' way of showing me at that particular moment that Love is in my midst.
My next trip to Assisi didn’t happen for nine years and this time I took my camera. Brimming with excitement, I somehow wanted to capture the treasures I kept finding. How could I create a mirror of my experiences? How could I say thank you? I began taking photographs – a little girl with her dolls, an ancient olive grove whose trees danced for me, a mother sheep and her baby lamb taking time to pose together. My camera became my journal. I’ve returned to Assisi five times since then and continue taking photographs using them as mirrors and windows into the mystery and magic of the Divinity in our world and ourselves.
In 2007 I was honored to have an exhibition of my photography of Assisi in the town’s main square, Piazza del Comune. It was both a privilege and an opportunity to give thanks to St. Francis and St. Clare and the town of Assisi for all they have given me.
I returned to Assisi in 2013 to be there when Pope Francis visited. This was a mgical time in Assisi.
PeacePrints, as a name for my images, was born one day while sharing my Assisi photographs and the St. Francis Prayer of Peace with a good friend. The prayer's first line, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace”, reminded me how my captured moments on film had become instruments of peace for me. As we looked through the photos, my friend said. "These are images of peace. You should call them peace prints.” It felt wonderful and PeacePrints was born!
This website was designed by Jill Savini, a masterful graphic designer, who just happens to be my cousin. SaviniDesign.com
The logo is the creation of Carol Pallesen, an accomplished calligrapher. My only direction to her was to include a dove and an olive branch for peace and a heart for the love that keeps appearing. She freely began to draw and out of her many beautiful renderings I chose the one we use. The Silent Hand Scriptorium
For now my PeacePrints are mostly photographs from Assisi but, of course, there are more to be discovered from many other places.
I hope you enjoy the images, and I encourage you to find your own expressions and reflections of serenity, beauty, peace. They're all around us. It seems we just have to slow down a bit to see and feel them. What Does Peace Mean To You?
-Mary Kay Fry
Santa Barbara, California