Sacred spaces - our father

The Father Varela Memorial sculpture, situated on the exterior of The Church of Transfiguration on Mott Street (China Town) New York City, USA was installed in November 2014. This collaboration between sculptor, Chris Knight, Father Andrew O'Connor (artist and Pastor) and architect Hans Roegle commemorates Father Felix Varela, the Cuban-born priest who founded the parish of the Church of Transfiguration in 1827. Father Varela was a tireless advocate for New York’s immigrant communities and in the 200-year history the Church of Transfiguration has served Irish, Italian, Latino and now Chinese New Yorkers. The “Mandorla of Felix Varela” was commissioned by Rev. Raymond Nobiletti, Transfiguration’s pastor who was joined by Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros of Brooklyn in the dedication and blessing of the sculpture in April 2015. The Memorial consists of a statue of Father Varela surrounded by a 'mandorla' of anodized aluminium letters that together spell out The Lord’s Prayer. The base of the sculpture is fashioned from black granite from the lot used to build the September, 11th Memorial. The plaque notes, “A symbol of political persecution and a beacon of religious freedom, the mandorla's intention is to offer a voice to those who suffer religious and political persecution.”