''Angels Unawares'' is a bronze sculpture by

Timothy Schmalz Timothy Schmalz (born in 1969) is a Canadian sculptor based out of St. Jacobs, Ontario, Canada. He focuses on religious figures and also has many public pieces. Schmalz is best known for his '' Homeless Jesus'' that he created in reaction to the ...

installed in

St. Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood ( rione) of Borgo. B ...

in the Vatican since September 29, 2019, the 105th World Migrant and Refugee Day. This statue was inaugurated by Pope Francis in 2019 for the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. At its inauguration

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

said he wanted the sculpture "to remind everyone of the evangelical challenge of hospitality".

History

The six-meter-long sculpture depicts a group of migrants and refugees on a boat wearing clothes that show they originate from diverse cultures and historical moments. For example, there are a Jew fleeing Nazi Germany, a Syrian departing the Syrian civil war, and a Pole escaping the communist regime. The sculptor of the work said that he "wanted to show the different moods and emotions involved in a migrant's journey". Previously, the artist had already made sculptures of a similar theme as '' Homeless Jesus''. The work includes angel wings, through which the author suggests that a migrant is secretly an angel in our midst. The artist's inspiration was Hebrews 13:2: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares". It was the first time in 400 years, i.e. since Bernini, that a new sculpture was installed in St Peter's Square. The idea for the sculpture originated with Cardinal

Michael Czerny Michael F. Czerny (born 18 July 1946) is a Czechoslovakian-born Canadian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development since 23 April 2022, after serving as interim prefect for sev ...

, a fellow Canadian and Undersecretary of the

Migrants and Refugees Section The Migrants and Refugees Section (M&R Section) is a section on migrants and refugees included in the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (IHD). History Appalled by the conditions and treatment of great numbers of migrant ...

, who commissioned it in 2016. Among the people represented on the ship are the Cardinal's parents, who immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia. The sculpture was funded by a family of migrants from northern Italy, the Rudolph P. Bratty Family. On September 29, 2019, Pope Francis and four refugees from various parts of the world inaugurated the sculpture. A smaller reproduction, about a meter and a half high, will be permanently installed in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. A replica of the sculpture has been displayed in Boston College, United States since 15 November 2020. A life-size replica was shown in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

in February 2021 until 8 April 2021. Archbishop of Miami

Thomas Wenski Thomas Gerard Wenski (born October 18, 1950) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was appointed Archbishop of Miami by Pope Benedict XVI on April 20, 2010 and was installed on June 1, 2010. He previously served as Bishop of ...

stated about the statue: "This is a representation of the human family and the story of migration and certainly, that’s the story of Miami. Miami is the

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...

of the South, and this, I think, represents that very well." He then

blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

the replica, commenting: "May all who gaze upon it be filled with compassion for the stranger among us and eager to extend a hand of friendship." In April 2021, a replica was put in front of

Notre Dame Seminary Notre Dame Seminary is a Catholic seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana. It operates under the auspices of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. It serves the other six Catholic dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province of New Orleans, six additional dioces ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. After a national tour, this sculpture will be installed on the campus of the Catholic University in Washington, DC in fall of 2021.

References

{{reflist 2019 sculptures Works by Canadian people Sculptures in Vatican City Ships in art Sculptures of angels

History

See also

References