October is American Archives Month, so we’re putting a spotlight on our archivists at the Carondelet Consolidated Archives. They are responsible for preserving and sharing the history, spirit and memory of the congregation.
An archive holds the history and stories of an organization and sometimes, the stories are so well-kept that they surprise even us, the archivists, as we are given the chance to unravel them. The history of Sister Evelyn Marie Reznick, CSJ’s painting is such a story, spanning two continents and three countries.
Here at the archives, we recently received a request from a man who had been a model for one of Sister Evelyn’s paintings as a young boy. He recalled the painting titled Our Lady of Fatima and wondered what had happened to the painting.
At that time in 1948, Sister Evelyn had been teaching in Chicago and painting in her spare time. She was not on our lists of known artists, but as we looked into her, we were surprised at the story we found and how prolific she had been as an artist.
Sister Evelyn had been trained as an artist with a bachelor’s degree in art from Fontbonne College, a master’s degree in art from University of Illinois and a doctorate in art from Notre Dame. She seems to have been partial to large-scale paintings and portraits. Not only did she paint several versions of Our Lady of Fatima, but she also painted portraits of Mother St. John Fontbonne, Bishop Rosati, Cardinal Glennon and Archbishop Ritter, just to name a few.
In 1948, as the paint was drying on a painting that Sister Evelyn is reported to have finished in one day titled Our Lady of Fatima, Father Nugent of Chicago requested that a group of pilgrims headed to Fatima, Portugal, be permitted to take the painting with them. She agreed to this with the condition that the painting be returned to her. However, Pope Pius XII seemed to have other ideas.
As the journey of Sister Evelyn’s painting unfolded, we learned that the group of pilgrims made a stop at the Castle Gandolfo in Italy, which is the summer residence of the Pope. The intent was for Pope Pius XII to bless the painting and then the group would deliver it to the Bishop in Fatima. The Pope, however, looked at the painting and is reported to have said, “I am willing to bless it, but the picture should remain in Rome.” He then went on to say that the artist should paint another one for the Shrine at Fatima. Of this occasion, Reverend Mother Killian Corbett, CSJ stated, “The honor which is being paid to your picture is one of which our Congregation may be proud.”
Sister Evelyn went on to paint a second copy of Our Lady of Fatima for the Shrine of Fatima, which was gifted to them in 1950, and to this day is still in their collection. It is unknown whether or not the painting in Rome is still on display, but we do have record that it was graciously received.
Unraveling and then telling the story is just one of many things we do in the Carondelet Consolidated Archives. From receiving a request, to researching what the archives contains, to verification by contacting the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal, we were able to piece together the story of Sister Evelyn’s painting, as well as learn about her and her other works, which were unknown to us before. Many remarkable stories like Sister Evelyn’s are held in the archives, patiently waiting for someone to find them.