Homeless Jesus, also known as Jesus the Homeless, is a bronze sculpture by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz in 2015 that depicts Jesus as a homeless person. The sculpture is located outside just St. Mary’s Catholic Church in downtown San Antonio. It honors The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and The People of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and was given by Edward and Linda Speed whose family have been members of the Church for over 100 years. Homeless Jesus depicts The Son of God lying on a bench. His body is small, hidden inside a robe or a blanket and appears to be shivering. His face and hands are hidden, but the wounds from crucifixion on his feet reveal his identity. This is Jesus Christ in his worst trying to cling on
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At first, the reception of Homeless Jesus was mixed. Timothy Schmalz, the maker of the statue, offered the first casts of the statue to St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, however both declined. A representative at St. Patrick’s said they liked the homeless Jesus, but they were remodeling the church so they had to turn it down. The most prominent version of the statue is located near St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy. On November 2013, Schmalz traveled to Rome himself to present a miniature to the pope. Schmalz said: “He walked over to the sculpture, and it was just chilling because he touched the knee of the Jesus the Homeless sculpture, and closed his eyes and prayed. It was like, that’s what he’s doing throughout the whole world: Pope Francis is reaching out to the marginalized.” The first cast in the United States was installed at the St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson, North Carolina and received more followers than detractors. According to Reverend David Buck, rector of St. Alban’s, the statue offers genuineness to the Church. It is in a fairly wealthy area, and the sculpture is a reminder that they need to care about the marginalized of the society. Since then, other similar casts have been installed near churches in Illinois, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Washington DC, Indiana, New York, Manchester of …show more content…
When Homeless Jesus was first installed in Davidson, some residents said that it is an insulting depiction of Jesus and demeans the neighborhood. A resident who lived close to the church even wrote a letter to the church saying it was creepy. However, according to Reverend Buck, he saw many neighbors sitting beside the statue, resting their hand on Jesus and praying. A woman from the neighborhood when first driving past it thought the statue was an actual person and called the police for help. But some people argue that the statue makes her notice the people around her, people who are less fortunate. A couple of days after a statue was installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, someone who was walking by was moved to honor Jesus and cover him with a blanket. Many homeless people consider the statue as their monument. In Washington DC, the statue is a reminder that homelessness exists and many homeless people consider it their monument. Michael, a homeless man said that he saw the scars on Jesus’ feet and started coming every day to rub his feet to thank him for everything he did for the homeless. At the Vatican City in Rome in 2013, Pope Francis gave a blessing to a Homeless Jesus statue in front of thousands of
At first, the reception of Homeless Jesus was mixed. Timothy Schmalz, the maker of the statue, offered the first casts of the statue to St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, however both declined. A representative at St. Patrick’s said they liked the homeless Jesus, but they were remodeling the church so they had to turn it down. The most prominent version of the statue is located near St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy. On November 2013, Schmalz traveled to Rome himself to present a miniature to the pope. Schmalz said: “He walked over to the sculpture, and it was just chilling because he touched the knee of the Jesus the Homeless sculpture, and closed his eyes and prayed. It was like, that’s what he’s doing throughout the whole world: Pope Francis is reaching out to the marginalized.” The first cast in the United States was installed at the St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson, North Carolina and received more followers than detractors. According to Reverend David Buck, rector of St. Alban’s, the statue offers genuineness to the Church. It is in a fairly wealthy area, and the sculpture is a reminder that they need to care about the marginalized of the society. Since then, other similar casts have been installed near churches in Illinois, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Washington DC, Indiana, New York, Manchester of …show more content…
When Homeless Jesus was first installed in Davidson, some residents said that it is an insulting depiction of Jesus and demeans the neighborhood. A resident who lived close to the church even wrote a letter to the church saying it was creepy. However, according to Reverend Buck, he saw many neighbors sitting beside the statue, resting their hand on Jesus and praying. A woman from the neighborhood when first driving past it thought the statue was an actual person and called the police for help. But some people argue that the statue makes her notice the people around her, people who are less fortunate. A couple of days after a statue was installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, someone who was walking by was moved to honor Jesus and cover him with a blanket. Many homeless people consider the statue as their monument. In Washington DC, the statue is a reminder that homelessness exists and many homeless people consider it their monument. Michael, a homeless man said that he saw the scars on Jesus’ feet and started coming every day to rub his feet to thank him for everything he did for the homeless. At the Vatican City in Rome in 2013, Pope Francis gave a blessing to a Homeless Jesus statue in front of thousands of