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Amidst the magnificence of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a gathering of present-day migrants—primarily of Latino, Asian, and Black descent—pause on a hillside slope holding their simple possessions. A man in a T-shirt cradles an infant, as a young person in athletic shoes sits solemnly up front. Above in the lofty skies, the divine symbol is positioned on a bright shrine within the radiant glow of dangling golden lines implying a heavenly aura.

This touching and grand tableau constitutes a segment of what is perhaps the most significant new piece of public art in today’s riven America.

“My hope is that viewers grasp from this artwork,” declares the artist, “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’s one of the two most important cathedrals in the country and attracts the most attention with millions of annual guests. This mural is the biggest lasting installation ordered by the church in over a century.

An Inspiration of Unity

Via the prize-winning idea, the mural realizes a longtime wish to mark the renowned sighting featuring holy figures including Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the Lamb, and angels at a little rural church in Knock, Ireland, in 1879. The artist expands that commemoration to involve past Irish migrants and New York’s broader multicultural immigration.

The extensive western facade, flanking the cathedral’s main doors, features a quintet of historic local Catholic notables on one side and on the other, a quintet of modern-day uniformed first responders. Each cluster is overseen by a grand heavenly being within a context of luminous lines suggesting the divine.

Recognizing Varied Impacts

Concerning the quintet of religious figures the church selected immigrant archbishop John Hughes, Dorothy Day, the former free spirit turned advocate, and Pierre Toussaint, the former enslaved Haitian who became a New York society hairdresser and major Catholic benefactor. The painter included early 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 mural’s painting style is straightforwardly representational—a deliberate selection. “Given that this is a domestic piece, as opposed to overseas,” the artist explains. “Overseas, there are centuries of religious artistry, their methods have evolved. However, here we must.”

An Endeavor of Passion

The massive project engaged approximately three dozen contributors, featuring a skilled artisan for the metallic elements. The drafting phase lasted several months within a spacious atelier in a waterfront district, followed by three-quarters of a year for the demanding painting—ascending and descending platforms for assessment.

“Well, my father was an architect,” he responds. “So I understood how to plan for the space.”

As for the retiring cardinal, he announced during the artwork’s unveiling: “Some have asked me, are you trying to make a statement about immigration? Absolutely, indeed. In short, that migrants are blessed beings.”

“All are part of this collective,” the artist repeats. “Whether we like it or not,” he adds. Multiple ideological followers are depicted. And multiple different religions. “However, common human experience unites all,” he maintains. “It includes those beyond one’s circle.”