By editor - 25 April, 2015
The Church of Ireland and Catholic Archbishops of Dublin on Friday 1 May will bless the new ‘Homeless Jesus’ sculpture which will be located in the grounds of Christ Church Cathedral in the capital.
In a special service in the cathedral in the presence of Dean Dermot Dunne and the cathedral choir, Archbishop Michael Jackson and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, are set to bless the imposing sculpture following its official unveiling.
Casts of the much talked about sculpture have been installed in cities in North America, Canada and Europe.
Following a competition among prospective Dublin sites, Christ Church Cathedral was chosen to be the location by Tim Schmalz.
The 7 foot-wide bronze sculpture depicts a park bench with a faceless cloaked figure lying on it. Passers-by realise that the sculpture depicts Jesus only when they notice the holes in the feet.
Canada-based Schmalz, who will attend Friday’s service, is a devout Catholic and ‘Homeless Jesus’ has been blessed by the Pope.
“I am delighted that the sculpture is going in the spiritual heart of Dublin, which is Christ Church,” Schmalz said.
“When I met the Dean, I saw in his eyes instantly that he was just delighted to have the sculpture at Christ Church. He talked about the sculpture with a deep powerfulness. And when you start talking about the deepest ideas about spirituality, it’s contagious.”
“I think the statue is absolutely beautiful. It goes beyond religion,” Rev Dermot Dunne, Dean of Christ Church, said.
The Dean recently slept rough himself to highlight the plight of the homeless.
“We are in the centre of the city, where I’m seeing homelessness all the time, and it’s getting worse,” he warned on Friday.
The sculpture is being presented to the people of Dublin by an anonymous North American Episcopalian benefactor, who is also giving the sculpture to 11 other European cities, including the Vatican City in Rome.
