Priest’s egg art imbues his faith
The Rev. Kevin Cameron leads a frenetic pace, especially shepherding his Our Lady of the Americas congregation through the Lenten season.
So the Catholic priest turns to art to center his spirituality leading up to Easter.
Cameron retires to the sun-drenched front room of his small east-side Des Moines home to color Easter eggs.
This isn’t simply dipping an egg in colorful dime-store dye – as so many kids and their parents do. It’s the ancient art of pysanky, intricate patterns and deep, rich colors that produce an egg that would be a showpiece on any shelf.
“My secretary is always telling me to slow down,” said Cameron, 50. “As I sit and do this, the breathing is very calming. I learn to clear my head.
“I have to focus on what I am doing. I find God’s presence in the midst of this.”
Eggs are a longtime symbol of spring, predating Easter and its religious meaning.
“Pysanky is an art of Ukraine that predates Christ. They did it back in pagan days to celebrate spring as a time of rebirth,” said Luda Perchyshyn. With her Ukrainian Gift Shop in Roseville, Minn., and online, Perchyshyn, 84, is acknowledged as one of the leading suppliers and driving forces behind the U.S. interest in pysanky.
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