Exploring an Impressive Artwork in New York’s Iconic Cathedral: A Homage to Immigrants

Within the grandeur of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a crowd of modern-day newcomers—primarily of Latino, Asian, and Black descent—rest on a sloping hill holding their simple possessions. An individual in a tee-shirt tenderly carries a child, while a kid in sneakers sits glumly in the foreground. High up among the billowing clouds, the Lamb of God stands on a white altar within the radiant glow of dangling golden lines suggesting the divine essence.

This touching and grand tableau is a component of what is perhaps the most significant new piece of public art in a currently divided United States.

“My hope is that viewers grasp from this artwork,” states the creator, “is that everyone belongs in this collective journey. And to have this enormous platform to say something like that is an extraordinary privilege.”

This house of worship, referred to as the people’s church, caters to approximately 2.5 million local Catholics. It’s one of the two most important cathedrals in the country and sees the highest foot traffic with five million tourists each year. This artwork represents the largest permanent piece ordered by the church in over a century.

A Concept of Unity

In the artist’s competition-winning vision, the mural realizes a longtime wish to commemorate the celebrated apparition of the Virgin Mary, with Joseph, St. John the Baptist, the Lamb of God and angels at a small Irish countryside chapel in 1879. The creator broadens that tribute to involve past Irish migrants and New York’s broader multicultural immigration.

The mural’s long west wall, adjacent to the primary entrance, showcases a group of five prominent local Catholics paired with five contemporary emergency service members. Above each assembly floats a large angelic figure against a backdrop of shining bands hinting at spirituality.

Recognizing Diverse Impacts

Concerning the quintet of religious figures the archdiocese named Irish-born archbishop John Hughes, Dorothy Day, the onetime nonconformist turned campaigner, and Pierre Toussaint, the former enslaved Haitian who became a New York society hairdresser and major Catholic benefactor. The artist added New York state’s 17th-century Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American canonized, and chose political figure Al Smith from the early 20th century. The emergency workers were also the creator’s concept.

The piece’s technique is distinctly figurative—a deeply purposeful choice. “Because this is an American painting, rather than European,” the painter states. “Europeans have hundreds of years of incredible ecclesiastical art, they no longer require such approaches. Yet locally, it’s essential.”

An Endeavor of Love

The mural’s enormous labor involved about 30 people, involving a specialist for the precious metal applications. Planning required half a year at a large workspace in an industrial area, and then most of a year for the intensive artwork—ascending and descending platforms for assessment.

“Since my parent worked in architecture,” he answers. “Thus, I knew how to organize the area.”

Concerning the stepping-down archbishop, he stated at the piece’s introduction: “People inquire if this comments on migration? Well, sure we are, all right? Specifically, that newcomers are divine creations.”

“We’re all in this together,” the painter echoes. “Whether we like it or not,” he notes. Multiple ideological followers are depicted. Along with assorted faiths. “Yet, universal human traits bind everyone,” he affirms. “It includes those beyond one’s circle.”