MEV PULEO, AUTHOR - 12 JANUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY

Saints celebrated on the 12th of January

MEV PULEO, AUTHOR 

"I'd rather die young having lived a life crammed with meaning, than to die old, even in security, but without meaning."

The above quotation was written by Mary Evelyn "Mev" Puleo (1963-1996) as a college student in St Louis University, USA. From a young age Mev felt a strong sense of “religious wonder” in the presence of nature and other people. From her devout Catholic parents she learned that the practice of Christian faith should involve service to others. Aged 14, she accompanied her parents on a trip to Rio de Janeiro. 

ON BEING A FOLLOWER OF JESUS

Riding a bus to view the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, on one side of the hill she could see the opulent homes and posh hotels, on the other side ramshackle homes, children in rags, young and old begging for coins. That gave rise to the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian – a follower of Jesus – in a world of contradictions and conflicts?” Over time she felt a call to create a bridge between the different worlds she had viewed from that bus.

THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH

She went on to earn graduate degrees in theology, but she felt the need of a new language of faith, a language addressed not only to the head but to the heart. Early in her life she discovered a great talent for photography. In trips to Brazil, El Salvador, Haiti and elsewhere, her photos documented the life, struggles and humanity of people. 

Her aim was “to revere the human spirit and bridge the distance between persons.” But she also acknowledged the ethical ambiguities of photography and often admitted having asked herself, “Dare I invade their lives, steal this moment? Yet how can I not share these children with the world, bringing them back with me to hearts that might receive them, voices who might speak for them?”

THE FAITH OF THE POOR

Mev was not simply touched by the suffering of the poor. She also identified with their struggle for justice and liberation. In her travels she was exposed to a new model of Church arising from the faith of the poor. She conducted scores of interviews with activists, prophetic bishops and theologians. Her book, photo exhibits and lectures showed her commitment to this model of Church. What people most remembered about her was her extraordinary personality, her enthusiasm for life, her capacity for joy. 

THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF THINGS

In her photography she had a contemplative eye, a knack for penetrating to the spiritual essence of things and especially people, in whom she saw reflections of God. In 1992 she married Mark Chmiel, a fellow theology student: it was a marriage filled with love and promise. Two years later she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. Given six months to live, she determined to live each day and her final months were filled with many accomplishments. In 1995 she received the U.S. Catholic Award. She died on January 12, 1996, aged 32.

(To read more, see All Saints by Robert Ellsberg, The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, 1997. This article was published in “Far East”, Magazine of the Columban Missionaries, Jan./Feb. 2013 issue.)