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Amidst the neo-gothic splendor of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a throng of today’s immigrants—mostly Latino, Asian, and Black—gather on an incline carrying their modest belongings. An individual in a tee-shirt tenderly carries a child, while a kid in sneakers sits glumly in the foreground. Above in the lofty skies, the sacred Lamb rests upon a pale platform surrounded by shimmering gold hanging bands evoking the presence of God.

This touching and grand tableau is a component of what is perhaps the most significant new piece of public art across a fragmented modern America.

“What I want people to realize from the mural,” affirms the painter, “is that we’re all in this together. To utilize such a vast canvas for this statement stands as a remarkable opportunity.”

St. Patrick’s, known as “America’s parish church,” serves about 2.5 million New York Archdiocese Catholics. It ranks among the top two cathedrals nationally and by far the most visible with 5 million visitors a year. This artwork represents the largest permanent piece commissioned by the cathedral in its 146-year history.

An Inspiration of Solidarity

Via the prize-winning idea, the painting fulfills an enduring desire to commemorate the celebrated apparition depicting sacred beings such as Mary, Joseph, John, the Lamb, and heavenly messengers in a rural Irish sanctuary during the late 19th century. The artist expands that commemoration to encompass earlier Irish newcomers along with the city’s diverse migrant history.

The mural’s long west wall, beside the main entryways, showcases a group of five prominent local Catholics on one side and on the other, a quintet of modern-day uniformed first responders. Each cluster is overseen by a grand heavenly being against a backdrop of shining bands evoking God’s presence.

Honoring Varied Achievements

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 once-enslaved individual who rose to prominence as a stylist and donor. The artist added New York state’s 17th-century Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the initial Native American saint, and picked Al Smith, the popular New York politico of the 1920s and 1930s. The frontline personnel were similarly the painter’s inclusion.

The artwork’s approach is clearly realistic—an intentional decision. “Because this is an American painting, rather than European,” the painter states. “Overseas, there are centuries of religious artistry, their methods have evolved. But we do.”

An Effort of Passion

The mural’s enormous labor involved about 30 people, involving a specialist for the precious metal applications. It took five months to sketch the work at a large workspace in an industrial area, and then most of a year for the intensive artwork—clambering up and down a scaffold to gauge things.

“Since my parent worked in architecture,” he replies. “Therefore, I grasped spatial planning.”

Concerning the stepping-down archbishop, he announced during the artwork’s unveiling: “Many wonder whether this addresses newcomer issues? Well, sure we are, all right? In short, that migrants are blessed beings.”

“All are part of this collective,” the creator reiterates. “Whether we like it or not,” he continues. Multiple ideological followers are depicted. And multiple different religions. “But shared humanity means shared humanity,” he affirms. “It’s not reserved just for whom you get along with.”