Who would have thought that Denver’s “Angel of Charity” would make it all the way to Europe?
While her little red wagon might not have crossed the Atlantic, the life, witness and example of Julia Greeley has continued to inspire people all over the world. Such was the case for Ruben Ferreira, a Portuguese Catholic artist living in London.
Ferreira met Julia in his continued efforts to “find the immense richness of knowing lesser-known saints worldwide that are so modern, diverse and contemporary,” he told the Denver Catholic. Upon meeting her, Ferreira said he knew he had to share Julia’s story with the world.
“After I read the story of Julia Greeley,” Ferreira said, “I was moved by her humility and simplicity in the midst of such a dramatic life. The world seems to show us that discrimination and hate are valid options, but Julia shows us the opposite. She shows us tolerance, humble service, joy, and faith in action that doesn’t have time to hate or judge others. Julia didn’t seek the first place, to be seen or popular. Julia Greeley shows us what God’s Love is.”
Greeley was born into slavery in Missouri sometime in the early to mid-19th century. After being freed in 1865, she spent much of the rest of her life in Denver, where she became a member of Sacred Heart Parish. She was renowned for her devout faith and her tireless, quiet service to the poor, to whom she regularly brought food, clothing and other goods in her little red wagon. Her cause for canonization was opened in 2016.
After getting to know his new heavenly friend, reading about her, and reflecting on the only existing photo of Julia, Ferreira said he was struck by her joy. “I knew one thing: I had to do Julia smiling, full of joy, that joy that she felt from being unconditionally loved by God. And when people started seeing her face with a joyful smile, people got curious, wanting to know more. After all, no one wants to follow unhappy people!”
Ferreira’s painting of Julia Greeley depicts her holding a full grocery bag and an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Photo courtesy of Ruben Ferreira.
Joy radiates from Ferreira’s smiling depiction of Julia, which also shows her hard at work, carrying a full grocery bag.
“Bringing that simple element to the painting indicates that even saints have to go shopping and that we are called to see God in all things,” Ferreira explained. “I must put as much effort into painting a grocery bag as the Sacred Heart of Jesus. God asks us to put love in the ordinary things of our lives in an extraordinary way. Always love in everything we do.”
It is the deep love that Julia Greeley exemplified in her life and works from which we can all learn, Ferreira said. “Julia showed us that we are called to live in the present moment and love everyone unconditionally. Julia shows us that love prevails and is above everything else. Love generates love, and we can only love by serving our brothers and sisters in this broken world. Julia shows us that God is far bigger than our pasts and struggles, and he’s always calling us to follow him.”
To learn more about Ferreira’s mission to spread the Gospel through art, visit rubenferreiraart.com