Bronze sculpture in St Peter’s Square offers message of hospitality

by CNS · April 16, 2025

“Be Welcoming,” a bronze sculpture of a traveller by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz, is seen in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on April 15, 2025. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)

By Justin McLellan, CNS – A new bronze sculpture installed in St Peter’s Square, near the showers and medical clinic the Vatican runs for people in need, invites visitors to reflect on the sacredness of welcoming others, especially the marginalised.

Titled “Be Welcoming,” the work by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz was unveiled on April 15 in its place on the steps leading into the square from the colonnade.

Inspired by Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels” – the sculpture depicts a weary traveller appearing as a homeless man. However, from another angle, his tattered belongings transform into angelic wings.

The statue aims to make Scripture tangible by offering a “physical experience” of the biblical text, said a press release on April 15 from the office of the papal almoner.

Schmalz is also known for “Angels Unaware,” a sculpture depicting migrants from various historic periods and ethnic groups, that stands on the opposite side of St. Peter’s Square.