Cardinal Maida will dedicate 'The Last Supper' statue at Shrine on Oct. 2
Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published September 22, 2006
Royal Oak – Many people try to make Jesus a part of their lives – and now they will be able to sit with Him at the table.
"The Last Supper" sculpture, featuring Jesus breaking bread at a table with 12 empty places, is soon coming to National Shrine of the Little Flower Parish, in Royal Oak. The sculpture will be placed outdoors in front of the parish's adoration chapel, so Jesus faces the road, inviting others to sit with him.
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Photo by Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
A bronze figure of Jesus, which will be a part of "The ast Supper" sculpture at National Shrine of the Little Flower, has been in storage at the parish. | The sculpture is one of several at parishes across the nation created by sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz, of Toronto. At Shrine, an anonymous parishioner made the statue a gift to the parish, said Msgr. William Easton, the parish's pastor.
He plans to have the sculpture lit at night, and the figure of Jesus, which the parish already has in storage, is a bronze figure sitting at the table breaking bread.
"I think it will be very stunningly impressive," he said.
To celebrate the new sculpture, an upcoming dedication ceremony, at which Cardinal Adam Maida will preside and Schmalz will attend, will be part of the parish's three-day celebration of the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux, the parish's patron saint. The dedication will take place after 7:30 p.m. evening prayer on Monday, Oct. 2.
The next evening, Oct. 3, Schmalz will make a presentation on art inspiration and worship, as well as his faith and devotion to the saints.
There's still a little work that has to be done before the sculpture is installed. Because the table weighs more than 4,000 pounds of granite, Msgr. Easton said, the existing cement will have to be removed and a foundation will have to be laid below the frost line. The table will sit on four pillars, and the 12 stools will be round granite pillars.
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