Parishioner’s artwork earns money for parish food pantry

Last summer, St. Vincent de Paul Parish of Long Hill Township parishioner Emma Militante had a nice dilemma. She had at her home an abundance of beautiful artwork she had painted but had no idea what to do with it. She approached her spiritual director, St. Vincent de Paul Pastor Father A. Richard Carton, for advice.

Militante said, “One day, I was telling him, ‘I was just looking at my room, and I have all these paintings. I even asked Jesus, ‘What am I supposed to do with them, Lord?’ All these paintings were just sitting there — and I have been painting for a while.”

Father Carton suggested to the 84-year-old Militante that she do an art exhibit to sell some of her work, with all proceeds going to the parish food pantry. Militante agreed and approached Parish Secretary Vera Castagna, with whom she mapped out dates for the event.

According to the St. Vincent de Paul website, the parish food pantry serves over 60 clients per week, so Militante’s talent was put to good use. Held in the parish meeting room, her first art exhibit and sale was held in October 2022, when the food pantry earned $1,500 in donations. The second was on April 22 and 23 and garnered $750.

In addition to Father Carton, Militante credits her eight children, who, in the past, have gifted her with various paints and canvases. She is grateful for their aid and encouragement, and she also cites St. Vincent de Paul Altar Society President Mary Knell for providing cookies and refreshments for the exhibits.

Militante attended and received a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Santo Tomas University in Manila, Philippines. She describes her work as traditional art, much of it focusing on religious paintings of the Blessed Mother Mary and Jesus Christ. Militante, who also studied at both the duCret School of Art in Plainfield and Raritan Community College in Branchburg, had one especially huge fan, her late husband Felix, who lovingly supported her to further pursue art as a career. The talented Militante, in the past a teacher of art to Koinonia Academy of Plainfield elementary school students, once favored oil painting but now creates with acrylics and occasionally dabbles in watercolors. In addition to those who have purchased her work, her children and grandchildren have been recipients of her paintings, and away from the canvas, she lovingly toils with colored pencils to create birthday cards for local seniors.

Militante is a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Rosary Society and the Art and Environment Committee. She formerly belonged to the Paterson Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries, and yearly her paintings of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. San Pedro Calungsod are featured at the Diocesan Filipino Mass honoring both saints. Finally, Militante’s four paintings of the Mysteries of the Rosary can be viewed in the St. Vincent de Paul Parish chapel.

Militante, who is planning her next event for October of this year and hopes to have exhibits twice yearly, briefly reflects on the reason for her love of painting and giving back.

She said, “I do it because I love the Lord.”