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Within the magnificence of the famous New York church, a crowd of present-day migrants—primarily of Latino, Asian, and Black descent—pause on a hillside slope with their humble sacks and bags. A man in a T-shirt cradles an infant, and a youth in trainers appears thoughtful at the front. Overhead in the towering clouds, the sacred Lamb rests upon a pale platform surrounded by shimmering gold hanging bands implying a heavenly aura.

This touching and grand tableau forms part of one of the most important recent public artworks in a currently divided United States.

“What I want people to realize from the mural,” declares the artist, “is that we’re all in this together. And to have this enormous platform to say something like that represents an incredible honor.”

This house of worship, referred to as the people’s church, ministers to around 2.5 million area worshippers. It stands as a key cathedral in the United States and by far the most visible with 5 million visitors a year. This mural is the biggest lasting installation commissioned by the cathedral in its 146-year history.

A Concept of Solidarity

Via the prize-winning idea, the painting fulfills an enduring desire to honor the famed vision of the Virgin Mary, with Joseph, St. John the Baptist, the Lamb of God and angels at a little rural church in Knock, Ireland, in 1879. The artist expands that commemoration to encompass earlier Irish newcomers along with the city’s diverse migrant history.

The extensive western facade, flanking the cathedral’s main doors, displays five historical Catholic luminaries paired with five contemporary emergency service members. Over each grouping hovers a monumental angel against a backdrop of shining bands suggesting the divine.

Celebrating Diverse Contributions

Concerning the quintet of religious figures the institution highlighted founder John Hughes, Dorothy Day, the former free spirit turned advocate, and Pierre Toussaint, the ex-slave who achieved success as a groomer and philanthropist. 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 piece’s technique is distinctly figurative—a deeply purposeful choice. “Because this is an American painting, rather than European,” the artist explains. “Europeans have hundreds of years of incredible ecclesiastical art, they don’t need to do it that way any more. But we do.”

An Endeavor of Love

The huge undertaking required around thirty individuals, featuring a skilled artisan for the metallic elements. The drafting phase lasted several months in a huge studio in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard, then nine months for the arduous painting—clambering up and down a scaffold to gauge things.

“Well, my father was an architect,” he answers. “Thus, I knew how to organize the area.”

Regarding the departing church leader, he declared at the mural’s presentation: “People inquire if this comments on migration? Absolutely, indeed. Specifically, that newcomers are divine creations.”

“We’re all in this together,” the painter echoes. “Whether we like it or not,” he continues. There are supporters of various politicians among the models. Plus various beliefs. “However, common human experience unites all,” he affirms. “It’s not reserved just for whom you get along with.”