THE
MATTHEW 25
SERIES
At first glance, an ordinary stranger in need. Look closer, and the wounds give it away — it’s Christ.
Sculptures
Six
LOCATION
Multiple countries
OVERVIEW
The Matthew 25 Series is a collection of life-size bronze sculptures created over seven years, bringing to life the parable of the Judgment of the Nations from Matthew 25:31-46. Each piece challenges viewers to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy — to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, visit the imprisoned — by recognizing the face of Christ in those who suffer.
LOCATION
Multiple countries
Inspiration & Meaning
Schmalz designed each piece with deliberate ambiguity. From a distance, passersby see what looks like an ordinary person in need — destitute, sick, imprisoned. It’s only up close, at the sight of the crucifixion wounds, that the truth reveals itself: this is Christ. That moment of recognition is the point.
“And it all fit perfectly with the idea of Matthew 25, because in [the passage] there is that ambiguity. “When did we see you hungry? When did we see you thirst?” And then that eureka moment where it’s revealed that it’s Jesus … and so likewise with these sculptures.”
– Timothy Schmalz
LOCATIONS AT A GLANCE
On September 29, 2019 — the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees — Pope Francis blessed and unveiled “Angels Unawares” in a corner of St. Peter’s Square, as part of an initiative of the Migrants & Refugees Section. It was the first new sculptural work installed in St. Peter’s Square in four centuries, since the days of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Pope Francis marked the occasion with a special Mass in St. Peter’s Square.
Part of a
Curated Route
This sculpture is a stop on Connecting Pilgrims Through Compassion, a 2h35min audio-guided journey through 8 of Tim’s sculptures across Rome.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Timothy Paul Schmalz has spent over three decades translating Scripture into bronze.
