Todos, Todos, Todos

By Becky McIntyre

Artist Statement

Journeying with the synod process has been one of both individual and collective discernment. Throughout the synod process in Philadelphia, I have captured student voices as a visual notetaker through 6 visual art pieces to accompany our higher education report and facilitated collective and participatory art installations. On this art and synodality journey I wanted to capture a bit of my own synodal desires for the future of the Church in my typical art form of linocut printmaking, which is rooted in the Catholic Worker movement. A friend who attended Magis and World Youth Day (a global gathering for young people in the Catholic Church with the Pope about every 3 years) this past August shared with me a homily by Pope Francis in which he shared this quote which translates to, "In the Church there is a place for everyone, everyone, everyone." He then proceeds to ask everyone to join him in repeating "Todos, todos, todos" in their own languages. My friend shared the power of this moment and how it might be captured, and I felt that representing this moment was the perfect way to capture my similar hopes for the Church. There is not just space for everyone, but a place for each and every person. We absolutely do need to work on participation for all and reparations as a Church, but we also need to start with acceptance. Pope Francis says, as Jesus does, that all are welcome: "The sick, the elderly, the young, old, ugly, beautiful, good and bad." This also means LGBTQ+ folks, women, the poor, those of all races, backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures...Todos.

About the Artist

Becky McIntyre is a community visual artist and muralist living in Philadelphia. She has lived in various other cities and countries building community through practicing community arts, deeply inspired by the Spirit and bringing awareness to sociopolitical issues, the transformative and healing nature of art, and activating and inspiring new ways of being. An alum of St. Joseph's University, Becky is currently working as an Intensive Prevention Services counselor in a diversion program for youth, as well as project manager and artist for Walls for Justice. Additionally, Becky regularly creates the cover art for the Los Angeles Catholic Worker Catholic Agitator newspaper, and is the visual artist for the Synodality in Catholic Higher Education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia project.