PROVIDENCE — Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz is known the world over for creating public works of art that follow his mantra, “Connecting Pilgrims Through Compassion.”
His renowned bronze “Homeless Jesus” sleeping on a park bench sculpture—created to raise awareness of the issue of homelessness in the world—graces the grounds of churches from Fatima, Portugal, to Capernaum, Israel, to the Chinatown section of Washington, D.C., where the Catholic Charities Association is located, to the Vatican, where it was received by Pope Francis.
Schmalz, inspired by the words of Pope Leo’s first words as pontiff last May, presented to him in October at the Vatican—as a gift of the pope’s former Augustinian order—the sculpture “Peace be With You,” depicting the Holy Spirit sheltering the world from violence and war.
Now, an authentic work produced by Schmalz can be viewed up close locally, at St. Patrick Church at 244 Smith St., Providence.
Before he left to become Bishop of Portland, Maine, former St. Patrick Pastor Father James Ruggieri had commissioned a sculpture of the Holy Family to be created for display on the church grounds.
After then-Father Ruggieri headed north, Father Joseph Brice was named pastor of St. Patrick and took up the mantle of overseeing the sculpture project.
While giving a tour of the school to benefactor Barbara Papitto, who has dedicated her life to philanthropy, awarding some $100 million to 350 non-profit organizations across the Ocean State, through the Papitto Opportunity Connection she founded, the project was catapulted to a whole new level.
“We were walking around the school during her visit and I mentioned that we had plans to have a sculpture of the Holy Family made for the grounds, and she said, ‘I’m giving you a bronze statue,’” Father Brice recalled, noting the excitement he felt at hearing her continued support for the project, which began with her offer to his predecessor to pay for the sculpture’s creation.
“It’s a wonderful, amazing statue, it’s even better than I thought it would be,” he said.
“We are a family-oriented parish and people feel at home here and we want the sculpture to be a reflection of who we are as a parish, a symbol of our identity.”
Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., celebrated Holy Mass at St. Patrick Church on January 9 for the school community, along with supporters of St. Patrick Academy, which occupies the same building, and all proceeded outside onto the grounds to dedicate the sculpture.
“Lord God, source of all grace and holiness, you have given to us in your son the model of perfect charity. Look kindly upon your servants who have created this image of the Holy Family, as they intercede and plead for us, grant that all who may look upon it may benefit from your grace and heavenly blessing, through Christ Our Lord, Amen,” the bishop prayed, before blessing the bronze sculpture with holy water.
Barbara Papitto was on hand for the dedication.
She told Rhode Island Catholic she believes that we are all led by divine providence, and that she became familiar with Schmalz’s work while attending a church in Florida where one of Schmalz’s “Homeless Jesus” bench sculptures resides.
“If you’re led by divine providence, and if it wasn’t for my seeing the bench and researching Timothy Schmalz, I may not have been as receptive to an invitation to sponsor a huge Stations of the Cross display, being created by him for Our Lady Queen of the Universe Basilica in Orlando,” Papitto said.
And it was through her sponsorship of that large project that she commissioned a “Homeless Jesus” bench to be sculpted for Holy Apostles Parish in Cranston.
The working relationship she developed with Schmaltz led her to commission him as the creator of the Holy Family bronze sculpture for St. Patrick Parish.
When Bishop Ruggieri was pastor of St. Patrick Parish, he offered a Mass for Papitto’s late husband, Ralph Papitto, founder of Glass-Tite Industries, the maker of glass-to-metal hermetic seals for the emerging semiconductor industry.
“As we were walking through the parking lot, I said, ‘Father, you have an empty grotto,’” Papitto said.
The then-pastor said he was looking for a statue of the Holy Family.
“And I knew that Tim’s depiction of the Holy Family was so special. I said, ‘I think I can help you with that,” Papitto said.
The design for Schmalz’s Holy Family sculpture was one of his earliest, and he decided to recast the mold so that the one at St. Patrick would be the first of a unique new design. The work was crafted at his studio in Ontario, Canada.
“He said that his skills always improve with the passage of time,” Papitto said. “This sculpture is so intimate and so wonderful. I was happy to call Father Brice and tell him he had a sculpture on the way.”
St. Patrick Academy Director of Development Robin Tagliaferri has been the parish liaison working with Papitto on the project.
She said that Bishop Ruggieri could not attend the dedication, due to his schedule, but that he had been receiving regular updates on the project, which took about a year to complete.
“Bishop Ruggieri, when he was here, had this idea of having a Holy Family in the grotto for reflection,” she said. “He was considering something that he didn’t think would be the best fit for the parish, and Barbara came along and said, ‘I have something in mind that will be a perfect fit.’”
“The Holy Family now guides people to the adoration chapel,” she added.
Father Brice likens the arrival and dedication of the Holy Family sculpture to a “miracle.”
“People believe in the Catholic Church and the work we do, evangelization, youth education and that’s why they get behind the project. It’s a very ambitious, holy, humbling project. Every single year, a miracle has to happen here for us to have a school and those people believe in this and that’s why we have this school today and that’s why people respond generously because of that. It’s a great testimony to them,” he said.
Bishop Lewandowski said the sculpture sends a very clear message to all who view it about our place in the world and beyond.
“I think Father Brice put it beautifully when he said St. Patrick’s is a family and when we see the image of the Holy Family, that Barbara so generously provided, that we remember that we are not just a part of a family here on earth, but we have family in Heaven, we’re part of the Holy Family. And it’s through Barbara Papitto’s generosity now that we have that beautiful reminder,” the bishop said.
