PARABLE PARK
MATERIAL
Cast bronze
STATUS
Ongoing
Sculptures
37 parable sculptures + 1 flagship piece
LOCATION
Not yet defined
Parable Park is Timothy Schmalz’s ambitious project to sculpt all 37 parables of Jesus recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Each parable will become an individual bronze sculpture, forming a unique space where visitors can encounter Christ’s teachings through art, reflection, and storytelling.
Parable Park transforms Scripture into a physical journey through some of Jesus’ most powerful messages.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
– Mark 4:9
Jesus the Teacher: The Flagshipe
Positioned at the literal center of the park, Jesus the Teacher depicts Christ sharing his wisdom, and functions as the entry point into the rest of the space — the piece every visitor meets first.
“I don’t just want to have a hand out like ‘this Jesus taught’… it would look so false. I just envisioned this representation of Christ as how he would be if he was teaching me the parables. I wanted to have this, a serious Jesus… very strong looking, very important. His whole stance, I think, is one that has this solidity about it.”
Origin & inspiration
The project grew out of Schmalz’s move away from single, standalone monuments — what he’s described as “visual ambassadors” — toward larger, multi-part environments that turn a visitor from an observer into something closer to a pilgrim, walking through the story rather than just looking at it.
Its source is the parables themselves: Jesus’s own teaching method, built on stories people could picture and carry with them. Schmalz wanted a physical, touchable vocabulary for that — something that lets people encounter these stories the way they’d encounter any other part of daily public life.
The Parables
The Wise and the Foolish Builders
“The richness of the parables really hit me… and after that I began to think of a new sculpture park, the Parable Park, that would have every single parable that Jesus taught within one sculptural project.”
– Timothy Schmalz
SYMBOLISM & HIDDEN DETAILS
A Place to Encounter the Stories
Parable Park is envisioned as a physical journey where visitors can walk among the sculptures and experience the teachings of Jesus through art and contemplation.
A future layout of the park will reveal how each sculpture connects within this larger spiritual landscape.
A Rome Pilgrimage
During the Jubilee 2025, these sculptures anchor Connecting Pilgrims Through Compassion: a 2.5-hour audio-guided walking tour across Rome, inviting reflection on God’s mercy one sculpture at a time.
ITALY
Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (smaller replica)
Rome – View on map
UNITED STATES
Boston College
Massachusetts – View on map
Notre Dame Seminary
New Orleans – View on map
Catholic University of America
Washington, D.C – View on map
CANADA
Saint Joseph’s Oratory, in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood
Montreal, Quebec – View on map
ABOUT THE PATRONAGE
The sculpture “Angels Unawares” came to life thanks to the financial contribution of Rudolph Peter Bratty and his wife, Carolina. The family’s support of the sculpture serves as a testament to their vision, commitment, and the spirit of hope embodied by all new beginnings.
Timothy Schmalz in his Studio talking about The Parable Park
The Artist
“I want my sculptures to speak the language of compassion and invite everyone to reflect on the dignity of each human being.”
PHOTO GALLERY
