A bronze sculpture of Jesus depicted as a homeless man on a park bench outside one suburban Cleveland church sparked national headlines last year. That statue is part of a series of six sculptures by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz that illustrate Christ as a person in need, alternately sick, hungry, naked, a stranger, a prisoner or without shelter. Mr. Schmalz was the designer and creator of the Angels Unaware sculpture which has astounded and moved many a pilgrim or tourist at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
Our brother Phil Bernier, OFM Cap., who serves as parochial vicar at St. Malachi Church in Cleveland, wrote us about the placement of one of the Homeless Jesus statues there . . .
"The Homeless Jesus is at a highly visible location directy in front of the doors to St. Malachi, itself at a sort of crossroad in and out of the Flats and at the end of a major bridge entering downtown from the west. In pre-Covid days, the spot was a gathering place for homeless men and women waiting for meals, showers or other services offered by the parish. In just a little over a month, the statue has become a part of the fabric of the parish and the community. Balloons have been tied to the bench, candles placed under the figure of the homeless person. Real blankets have been placed over the bronze one, and one morning a homeless man found space to sleep on the end of the bench. Rome and Cleveland are currently the only cities in the world to have the entire collection 
[mentioned above] on public display, serving as poignant reminders of the demands of the Gospel to all who pass by. In April, Bishop Malesic will make his first visit to the parish and bless the Homeless Jesus statue with the hope that artist Timothy Schmalz will be present as well."
You can read about Mr. Schmalz and his statues in pages from Public Media's IdeaStream. In a Wikipedia entry, you can view all of the places where the Homeless Jesus statue has been placed, which include Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, the Sant'Egidio Headquarters in the Trastevere section of Rome, as well as at St. John's Hospice in Philly where our friars have served!
