‘The Path’ to meditation

by Pastoral Care Services

“The Path,” a mixed-media work of art, by local artist, Karen Vournakis, was recently hung in the St. Francis Meditation Room at the new MUSC Rutledge Tower.

“The Path,” while being commissioned for its inspirational and meditative qualities, was surprisingly found to have a path within its path, a path leading directly to the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy, the founding sisters of St. Francis Xavier Hospital, today the site of the MUSC Rutledge Tower.

After “The Path” was acquired, we discovered the path in this hand-painted photograph is actually a garden path on the grounds of Charleston’s Nathaniel Russell House, formerly owned by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy. The house was once a school for young ladies, The Academy of Our Lady of Mercy from 1870 to 1900, and served as the Mother House of the nuns from 1900 to 1908.

It seems fitting that this artwork, “The Path,” continues the connection between the sisters and MUSC’s Rutledge Tower, serving as a reminder to us of the path the sisters took on their journey of caring for others.

We hope you will stop by the St. Francis Meditation Room at Rutledge Tower and see “The Path,” a visible and meaningful expression of a journey of faith— past, present, and future.

“The Path,” invites and inspires its visitor to explore its depth and beauty; to take their own personal journey, and to know that in the midst of such beauty and wonderment, one is never alone.

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