“Tangiwai” is the title of this painting by Julia B. Lynch (1896–1975),
daughter of Irish Catholic immigrants in New Zealand. Meaning “tears” in
Maori, the picture clearly shows Mary weeping for the suffering of the
Maori people and all of humanity – including her little boy, as she considers
the messianic prophecies and wishes there was another way for salvation
to be achieved, other than through the suffering and death of her child.
Tangiwai, ca. 1945. St. Joseph’s Church, Hiruharama (Jerusalem), Wanganui
River, New Zealand by Julia Bridget Lynch (Sister Mary Lawrence, RSM)
(1896-1975), Te Puranga Atawhai Mercy Archives.
By permission of Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand.
