Archbishop Charles Chaput blessed and dedicated Pennsylvania’s first “Homeless Jesus” statue at St. John’s Hospice, a ministry of Catholic Social Services (CSS) of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, on Monday, July 31 in center city. The life-size bronze statue of Jesus, shrouded in a blanket with his face covered and lying on a park bench, was sculpted by Canadian artist Timothy P. Schmalz and commissioned by the George C. Beyer Family.

After the blessing Archbishop Chaput, Schmaltz and benefactor Karen Beyer served a hot noontime meal to some 300 needy and homeless men at the hospice, which has been serving homeless men in the city for more than 45 years. The “Homeless Jesus” statue has been installed in more than 50 cities worldwide, the most prominent location being in front of the Papal Office of Charities at the Vatican. (Photos by Sarah Webb)