| Homeless Jesus | |
| Artist: | Timothy Schmalz |
| Type: | Sculpture |
| Material: | Bronze |
| Subject: | Jesus |
| Height Metric: | 91 |
| Width Metric: | 61 |
| Length Metric: | 213 |
| Metric Unit: | cm |
| Imperial Unit: | in |
| City: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Owner: | Regis College[1] |
Homeless Jesus, also known as Jesus the Homeless (French: Jésus le sans-abri), is a bronze sculpture by Timothy Schmalz depicting Jesus as a homeless person, sleeping on a park bench. The original sculpture was installed in 2013 at Regis College, a theological college federated with the University of Toronto. Other copies of the statue were installed in several other locations beginning in 2014., over 50 copies were created and placed around the world.
The statue depicts Jesus as a homeless person, sleeping on a park bench. His face and hands are obscured, hidden under a blanket, but Crucifixion wounds on his feet reveal his identity. The statue has been described as a "visual translation" of the Gospel of Matthew passage in which Jesus tells his disciples, "as you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me".[2] The bronze sculpture was intended to be provocative, with its sculptor, Timothy Schmalz commenting, "That's essentially what the sculpture is there to do. It's meant to challenge people."[2]
The dimensions of the statue is 36by, providing enough room for someone to sit on the bench.[3]
Homeless Jesus was designed by Schmalz, a Canadian sculptor and devout Catholic.[2] Schmalz was inspired to create the statue after seeing a homeless person sleeping on a park bench in Toronto in 2012.[4]
Schmalz visited Pope Francis in Vatican City in November 2013 to present a miniature version of his statue. He recalled the Pope's reaction, "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."[2]
He offered the first cast to St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, but both churches declined. One spokesperson for St. Michael's said the church declined because appreciation "was not unanimous" and it was undergoing restoration. Similarly, a spokesperson for St. Patrick's complimented the work but declined to purchase the cast due to ongoing renovations.[2] The Archdiocese of Toronto tried to locate alternative locations for Schmalz, including St. Augustine's Seminary in Scarborough, but the location was rejected by Schmalz, who desired a location that would provide the sculpture with a wider public reach.[5] Regis College, a Jesuit school of theology federated with the University of Toronto, acquired the first cast in 2013 and installed it outside its main entrance.[5] [1] The acquisition was provided through a donation from Peter Benninger.[1] [5]
Installations in other locations followed. The first location in the United States was located at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Davidson, North Carolina.[2] It was purchased for $22,000 and displayed as a memorial to parishioner Kate McIntyre, who had an affinity for public art.[2] According to the Rev. David Buck, rector of St. Alban's, "It gives authenticity to our church. This is a relatively affluent church, to be honest, and we need to be reminded ourselves that our faith expresses itself in active concern for the marginalized of society".[2] Buck welcomed discussion about the sculpture and considers it a "Bible lesson for those used to seeing Jesus depicted in traditional religious art as the Christ of glory, enthroned in finery."[2] Furthermore, he said in an interview with NPR, "We believe that that's the kind of life Jesus had. He was, in essence, a homeless person."[2]
A painting of a homeless Jesus by Peter Howson was unveiled alongside a cast of Homeless Jesus in Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow, in December 2017.[6]
A lightweight version of Homeless Jesus, made out of wood and fibreglass, was crafted by Schmalz at the request of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2017.[7] The lightweight statue was exhibited in several schools, parishes and institutions around Baltimore before it was returned to Schmalz in 2018.[4]
Lennie Bennett, an art critic for the Tampa Bay Times noted that the statue was "technically well done", although also remarked that the design is "nothing new or interesting aesthetically". However, Bennett acknowledged Schmalz intended for the statue to be a social statement.[8]
Reception of the statue has been mixed. NPR said, "The reaction [to the cast in Davidson, North Carolina] was immediate. Some loved it; some didn't."[2] Some Davidson residents felt it was an "insulting depiction" of Jesus that "demeaned" the neighbourhood.[2] Another neighbour wrote a letter, saying it "[creeped] him out".[2] However, according to Buck, residents are often seen sitting on the bench alongside the statue, resting their hands on Jesus and praying.[2]
A proposal to install a cast at the Methodist Central Hall was rejected by Westminster City Council in 2016, who voiced concerns the statue would not maintain or improve the character or appearance of the Parliament Square Conservation Area.[9] The statue's design has occasionally resulted in people mistaking the figure for a real person. When the statue was installed in Davidson, North Carolina, one resident reported they called the police the first time she saw it, mistaking the statue for a real homeless person.[2] After a statue was installed in Hamilton, Ontario, emergency services received several calls during cold and snowy nights from passersby who mistook the statue for a living human.[10] Similar instances of concerned individuals who mistook a Homeless Jesus statue for a homeless person also took place in Minneapolis and Fargo, North Dakota.[11] [12] In October 2020, a Bay Village, Ohio resident mistook a statue installed in the area 20 minutes earlier for a sleeping homeless person and called the police, garnering national attention for highlighting people's privilege and indifference towards homelessness.[13]
In addition to the original sculpture installed at Regis College in Toronto,[14] a number of copies were on installed in other locations around the world., over 50 copies were created by Schmalz.[15] The price of statues made between 2014 and 2018 varied, ranging from US$22,000 to $40,000.[16] It typically takes Schmalz three months to form and cast the work into bronze.[7]
The following list shows some places where copies of the sculpture have been installed permanently.
| Image | Location | City | Country | Year installed | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Presbyterian Church | Austin | United States | 2015 | Located outside on the premises of the church. | [17] | ||
| St. Vincent de Paul Church | Baltimore | United States | 2018 | Located outside on the premises of the church. | |||
| Monserrate Sanctuary | Bogotá | Colombia | 2021 | Located outside on the premises of the sanctuary. | [18] | ||
| Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 2019 | Located inside the cathedral. | [19] | ||
| St. Paul's Cathedral | Buffalo, New York | United States | 2015 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [20] | ||
| St. Clement's Roman Catholic Church | Cambridge, Ontario | Canada | 2016 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [21] | ||
| United Methodist Church | Charleston, West Virginia | United States | 2014 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. The eighth cast of the statue installed in the world. | [22] | ||
| Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago | Chicago | United States | 2014 | Located outdoors. | [23] | ||
| Calvary Episcopal Church | Cincinnati | United States | 2015 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [24] | ||
| Saint Malachi Parish | Cleveland | United States | 2021 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. The cast is owned by the Community West Foundation and was previously loaned out and exhibited at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Bay Village, Ohio in 2016. | [25] [26] | ||
| Missouri United Methodist Church | Columbia, Missouri | United States | 2022 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [27] | ||
| St. Ann Catholic Parish | Coppell, Texas | United States | 2016 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [28] | ||
| Catholic Charities Dallas Central Service Center | Dallas | United States | Located outdoors. | [29] | |||
| St. Alban's Episcopal Church | Davidson, North Carolina | United States | 2014 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. The first statue installed in the United States. | [30] | ||
| Father Woody's Haven of Hope | Denver | United States | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the shelter | [31] | ||
| Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Catholic Church | Detroit | United States | 2015 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. An anonymous alumnus of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law donated funds for the statue at the church. | [32] [33] | ||
| First Lutheran Church | Fargo, North Dakota | United States | 2016 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | |||
| Saint Patrick's Roman Catholic Church | Hamilton, Ontario | Canada | 2015 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [34] | ||
| Roberts Park Methodist Episcopal Church | Indianapolis | United States | 2015 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [35] | ||
| King's University College | London, Ontario | Canada | 2019 | Located outside on the institution's campus next to Cardinal Carter Library | [36] | ||
| Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos | Los Altos, California | United States | 2018 | Located outdoors in the center's gardens. | [37] | ||
| St. James Catholic Church | Louisville, Kentucky | United States | 2018 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [38] | ||
| Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral | Mexico City | Mexico | 2020 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [39] | ||
| Basilica of Saint Mary | Minneapolis | United States | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the basilica. | [40] | ||
| The City of St. Jude Parish | Montgomery, Alabama | United States | Located outdoors on the premises of the City of St. Jude Interpretive Center. | [41] | |||
| St. James United Church | Montreal | Canada | 2019 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [42] | ||
| Cathedral of St. John the Divine | New York City | United States | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [43] | ||
| Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City | United States | 2016 | Located outdoors. | [44] | ||
| Christ Church Cathedral | Ottawa | Canada | 2018 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [45] | ||
| Saint John's Hospice | Philadelphia | United States | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the hospice. | [46] | ||
| University of Nevada, Reno | Reno, Nevada | United States | 2019 | Located outside on the university's campus next to Our Lady of Wisdom Newman Center. | [47] | ||
| Rio de Janeiro Cathedral | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 2018 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [48] | ||
| St. Mary's Catholic Church | San Antonio | United States | [49] | ||||
| Church and Convent of los Dominicos | Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | |||
| St. Luke’s Catholic Church | Schenectady | United States | 2018 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [50] | ||
| The Josephinum (Catholic Housing Services in Western Washington) | Seattle | United States | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the building. | |||
| Church of the Palms United Church | Sun City, Arizona | United States | 2023 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [51] | ||
| Hyde Park United Methodist Church | Tampa | United States | 2016 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church | |||
| Trinity Episcopal Church | Toledo, Ohio | United States | 2019 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | |||
| Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Indiana | United States | 2015 | Located outside on the university's campus next to Harre Union | [52] | ||
| Holy Rosary Cathedral | Vancouver | Canada | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [53] | ||
| Epiphany Cathedral | Venice, Florida | United States | 2020 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [54] | ||
| Catholic Charities DC | Washington, D.C. | United States | 2015 | Located outdoors at the front of the building. | [55] |
| Image | Location | City | Country | Year installed | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Peter's Church | Capernaum | Israel | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [56] | ||
| Manila Cathedral | Manila | Philippines | 2022 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [57] [58] | ||
| Newman College | Melbourne | Australia | 2019 | Located outdoors at the entrance of the college. | [59] | ||
| Seosomun Historical Park | Seoul | South Korea | [60] | ||||
| Cathedral of the Good Shepherd | Singapore | Singapore | 2016 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [61] | ||
| St James' Church | Sydney | Australia | 2018 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [62] | ||
| Sacred Heart Cathedral | Townsville | Australia | 2018 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [63] |
| Image | Location | City | Country | Year installed | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozes en Aäronkerk | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 2022 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [64] | ||
| Community of Sant'Egidio offices | Antwerp | Belgium | Located outdoors. | ||||
| Santa Anna de Barcelona | Barcelona | Spain | 2015 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | |||
| Centenary House & Calder Fountain Lifehouse (Salvation Army) | Belfast | United Kingdom | Located outdoors. | [65] | |||
| Holy Magdalena Church | Bruges | Belgium | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | ||||
| Christ Church Cathedral | Dublin | Ireland | 2015 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. The Dublin sculpture was the first erected outside of North America. | [66] | ||
| Badia Fiorentina | Florence | Italy | 2019 | [67] | |||
| St George's Tron Church | Glasgow | United Kingdom | 2017 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [68] [69] | ||
| Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas | Liverpool | United Kingdom | 2019 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [70] [71] | ||
| Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street | London | United Kingdom | 2018 | Located inside the church. | [72] | ||
| Almudena Cathedral | Madrid | Spain | 2016 | Located outdoors on the premises of the cathedral. | [73] | ||
| St Ann's Church | Manchester | United Kingdom | 2018 | Located outdoors on the premises of the church. | [74] | ||
| St. Boniface's Abbey | Munich | Germany | 2022 | Located outdoors on the premises of the abbey. | [75] | ||
| Community of Sant'Egidio headquarters | Rome | Italy | 2018 | Located outside. | [76] [77] | ||
| Dicastery for the Service of Charity offices | Vatican City | Vatican City | 2016 | Located outside at the entrance of the office. Temporarily relocated to Sant'Egidio Coutyard for Holy Week in 2016.[78] | [79] [80] | ||
| Capuchin monastery | Warsaw | Poland | 2021 | Located outdoors | [81] |