Saint Teresa of Calcutta statue installed
We are excited to announce that our one-of-a-kind statue, created by renowned sculptor, Timothy P. Schmalz, was installed on the west side of the church in our prayer garden. Thanks to the many contributors and to the Staab family for the pedestal and installation of the statue.
Our blessing and dedication have been postponed, but you are welcome to stop by for a visit and a time of reflection.
A Message from Father Jeff
Mother Theresa has finally arrived! Yesterday, workers arrived at Blessed Sacrament to set the pedestal on which the statue of Mother Teresa with children would stand. Made from black Indian granite, the base contains four quotes from her many years of working among the poor. They are:
We meet Jesus in the bread of life in the Eucharist, and the humanity of Christ in the distressing disguise of the poor.
The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved.
The unborn child has been carved in the hand of God from conception, and is called by God to love and be loved.
In the silence of the heart, God speaks.
Taken together, these quotes speak of the many poverties she saw in our world…the loneliness, the indifference to human life, the hunger for Christ, and the lack of silence. More powerful than her words is perhaps the image itself. Only five feet tall in life, the statue is nearly life-size. Timothy Schmalz, the artist, cast it in bronze. Schmalz is a world renown sculptor from Ontario, Canada who is perhaps best known for a sculpture entitled “The Homeless Jesus.” That statue is of a homeless image of Christ sleeping on a bench. Over a hundred images of this Christ has been cast and can be found in cities around the world. More recently, Schmalz was commissioned to create a statue of refugees. “Angels Unawares” was to be displayed in the Vatican for six months and then transferred to a permanent home at the United Nations. However, it was so well received in Rome that a second cast had to be made. That is what delayed our project. The statue of Mother Teresa with children is his first full statue of her and the first of her with the children. It is cast in bronze and the mold may be used to make others; but ours is the first or original cast.
A special thanks to Vicki Schmidt, a member of Blessed Sacrament Parish and executive director for Theresians International, who first envisioned this statue. After her mother died, she wanted a way to honor her parents. Her work with Mother Teresa’s community was the inspiration, reminding us of who Jesus taught us to be. Thanks to the Staab family for donating the pedestal and to all who donated to this project. It is an honor for this work of art to be placed at Blessed Sacrament. Timothy Schmalz says that if his sculptures are used as a tool to think, he is happy. My hope is it will not only make us think, but will help us pray. May the grace that filled the heart of St. Teresa of Calcutta fill us with the same ability to love all in word and deed.
Father Jeff