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In the neo-gothic splendor of the famous New York church, a throng of modern-day newcomers—mostly Latino, Asian, and Black—gather on an incline carrying their modest belongings. A father in casual wear holds a baby, and a youth in trainers appears thoughtful at the front. Overhead in the towering clouds, the sacred Lamb rests upon a pale platform amid the clustering gleam of golden pendulous stripes implying a heavenly aura.

This humane and magnificent scene forms part of one of the most important recent public artworks in today’s riven America.

“My hope is that viewers grasp from this artwork,” affirms the painter, “is that everyone belongs in this collective journey. To utilize such a vast canvas for this statement is an extraordinary privilege.”

The cathedral, often called the nation’s parish church, caters to approximately 2.5 million local 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.

A Vision of Togetherness

Through the awarded artistic concept, the artwork accomplishes a lasting goal to mark the renowned sighting 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 painter extends that homage to encompass earlier Irish newcomers along with the city’s diverse migrant history.

The sizable wall on the west side, 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. Over each grouping hovers a monumental angel against a backdrop of shining bands evoking God’s presence.

Celebrating Multifaceted Impacts

For the five west-wall Catholic notables 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 selected public servant Al Smith from the interwar period. The emergency workers were also the creator’s concept.

The mural’s painting style is straightforwardly representational—a deliberate selection. “Given that this is a domestic piece, rather than European,” the creator notes. “Europeans have hundreds of years of incredible ecclesiastical art, their methods have evolved. However, here we must.”

An Effort of Passion

The mural’s enormous labor involved about 30 people, featuring a skilled artisan for the metallic elements. Planning required half a year at a large workspace in an industrial area, then nine months for the arduous painting—moving up and down structures for evaluation.

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

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? Certainly, without doubt. In short, that migrants are blessed beings.”

“All are part of this collective,” the creator reiterates. “Regardless of preference,” he continues. Multiple ideological followers are depicted. Along with assorted faiths. “But shared humanity means shared humanity,” he maintains. “It includes those beyond one’s circle.”