{"id":3256,"date":"2025-09-19T12:34:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T12:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/?p=3256"},"modified":"2025-09-19T12:34:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T12:34:19","slug":"sprawling-mural-in-support-of-immigrants-unveiled-in-st-patricks-cathedral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/?p=3256","title":{"rendered":"Sprawling Mural in Support of Immigrants Unveiled in St. Patrick&#8217;s Cathedral"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside>\n        <\/aside>\n<p>Adjacent to an unfolding mass inside Manhattan\u2019s formidable St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral, a gaggle of reporters arranged themselves in front of an empty podium awaiting Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan on Thursday, September 18. Amid a profusion of anti-immigrant sentiment in national politics and sweeping deportations, the New York City cathedral planned to take a stand for the humanity of immigrants \u2014 in the form of the largest artwork ever commissioned for the Neo-Gothic landmark.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding\u201d (2024\u20135), an enormous 12-panel mural created in tribute to New York City immigrants and their descendants by artist Adam Cvijanovic, was unveiled on Thursday morning. For weeks, installation teams have worked overnight to position Cvijanovic\u2019s panels, transported from his Brooklyn Navy Yard studio. Tucked into crowds of immigrants of various ethnicities portrayed by the artist, figures of New York City\u2019s Catholic history peer out. They all stare upward into the distance, some in the direction of the cathedral\u2019s altar. The work, which was entirely funded by private benefactors, will be dedicated during Mass on Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68cd3a58d6fe4&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An unveiling ceremony was held for the press at St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral on Thursday. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When Cardinal Dolan \u2014 who is considered to be <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/2012\/08\/economist-digs-into-us-churchs-finances.html\">Manhattan\u2019s largest landowner<\/a> as the overseer of the Archdiocese of New York and its 2.5 million Catholics \u2014 approached the podium, Cvijanovic hung off to the side. Though the artist assumed a humble demeanor, his 25-foot-tall oil-painted murals in the background were characteristically boisterous and disruptive, as they were meant to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n        <\/aside>\n<aside>\n        <\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe whole issue of immigrants has been important for the church, always, but it seems to be a little bit under the limelight today,\u201d Dolan said at the unveiling. \u201cSome have asked me, \u2018Are you trying to make a statement about immigration?\u2019 Surely, mainly that immigrants are children of God.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1799\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/adam-1200x1799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043324\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Adam Cvijanovic (photo courtesy James Prochnik)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cvijanovic, whose dad immigrated from Serbia, told <em>Hyperallergic<\/em> that he never expected to collaborate with the Archbishop of New York on such a project. He secured the commission through a competitive process before Trump\u2019s election, but at the mural\u2019s opening, the president\u2019s recent immigration crackdowns sparked increased interest in the work. Cvijanovic added<em> <\/em>that he worked with limited direction from the church and could paint what he wanted to freely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat has made me, personally, really, really happy, is people who come in, who are from all kinds of different places and are feeling really not good about themselves at the moment, looking at this painting and saying, \u2018I belong here. I belong in the center of New York. I belong in a place where I\u2019m being deeply respected,\u2019\u201d Cvijanovic told <em>Hyperallergic.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68cd3a58d78b2&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0339-1200x795.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043181\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Timothy Dolan addresses a crowd of reporters at the unveiling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Catholic Church has consistently called for immigration reform, and in recent months, leading bishops across the nation have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/29\/us\/catholic-bishops-trump-immigration.html\">condemned<\/a> Trump\u2019s mass deportation campaign. Dolan has embraced his role in leading one of the most diverse archdioceses and has <a href=\"https:\/\/thegoodnewsroom.org\/cardinal-dolan-shows-support-for-immigrants\/\">publicly expressed<\/a> dismay at \u201cblanket attacks\u201d on immigrants, including raids at <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/california-divide\/2025\/07\/ice-targets-immigrants-church-grounds\/\">houses of worship<\/a>. (Dolan has faced scrutiny for years for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/07\/02\/us\/dolan-sought-vatican-permission-to-shield-assets.html\">reportedly<\/a> asking the Vatican for permission to move nearly $60 million to protect against lawsuits related to sexual abuse claims when he was archbishop of Milwaukee. He has repeatedly denied these claims.)<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0307-1200x795.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043178\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Subjects are portrayed staring off into the distance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The new mural is situated between the entrance and exit of the Midtown church, which Dolan said sees 6 million tourists each year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Cvijanovic honored Dolan\u2019s desire to incorporate a telling of the 1879 Apparition of Knock, when 15 people at a parish in Knock, Ireland, said they saw the Virgin Mary, the Lamb of God, and angels on the walls. This event was remarkable, Dolan shared, because it occurred within the same year St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral was dedicated. The apparition is seen as a spiritual symbol of resilience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0422-1200x795.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043194\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cWhat\u2019s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Gold leaf strips of various karats surround a representation of the Lamb of God, a symbol of Jesus, on one panel. The lamb hovers above immigrants of different ethnicities standing in a line that appears to stretch endlessly. Children are portrayed sitting on modern-day luggage or held in their caretakers\u2019 arms. The murals are filled with easter eggs of notable Catholic individuals who blend in with their surrounding subjects: The Lamb of God panel portrays Cuban abolitionist priest Venerable F\u00e9lix Varela y Morales, who lived in New York alongside St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first US citizen to be recognized as a saint.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>Another panel features five individuals in a more focused portrait, including the first Native American person to be recognized as a saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk woman canonized in the 17th century for her devotion and care for the sick. Servant of God Dorothy Day, who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933, is also pictured in the panel.<\/p>\n<p>An entire panel depicts law enforcement officers and first responders of varying backgrounds, and another is dedicated to immigrants from Ireland and Italy, who wear antiquated clothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68cd3a58d87f4&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0451-1-1200x795.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043196\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A panel depicts law enforcement officers, and another portrays immigrants from Italy and Ireland.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cvijanovic said he based his figures on models, among them members of his Catholic wife\u2019s family in New Jersey. The lamb portrayed in the Lamb of God also came from New Jersey, the artist quipped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you had told me that I was going to be the rector of Saint Patrick\u2019s Cathedral when I came to this country, I would have never believed it,\u201d Very Reverend Enrique Salvo, who was born in Nicaragua, said at the unveiling. \u201cHopefully, [the mural is] an inspiration of that to everyone that walks in that we\u2019re not only welcome, but we\u2019re also invited to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68cd3a58d8f47&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0379-1200x795.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043183\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cWhat\u2019s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68cd3a58d9594&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0404-1200x795.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043188\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cWhat\u2019s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68cd3a58d9c13&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0513-1200x795.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043200\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A press unveiling of the mural on September 18, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68cd3a58da28c&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1811\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0285-1200x1811.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043167\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail shot of a panel tucked between columns <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<aside>\n        <\/aside>\n<section id=\"block-27\" class=\"below-content widget widget_block\">\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/1043132\/sprawling-mural-in-support-of-immigrants-unveiled-in-st-patricks-cathedral\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adjacent to an unfolding mass inside Manhattan\u2019s formidable St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral, a gaggle of reporters arranged themselves in front of an empty podium awaiting Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan on Thursday, September 18. Amid a profusion of anti-immigrant sentiment in national politics and sweeping deportations, the New York City cathedral planned to take a &#8230; <a title=\"Sprawling Mural in Support of Immigrants Unveiled in St. Patrick&#8217;s Cathedral\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/?p=3256\" aria-label=\"Read more about Sprawling Mural in Support of Immigrants Unveiled in St. Patrick&#8217;s Cathedral\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Sprawling-Mural-in-Support-of-Immigrants-Unveiled-in-St-Patricks.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3256"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3258,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3256\/revisions\/3258"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}