It seemed only fitting that San Diego Bishop Michael Pham, the first Vietnamese American to lead a diocese in the United States, officiated the unveiling of “Angels Unawares,” a sculpture depicting migrants and refugees standing together in a boat.
The 10-foot-long copper sculpture, clocking in at just shy of 1,500 pounds, officially became a piece of public art at the University of San Diego on Thursday, a day observed around the world as International Migrants Day.
Installed just inside the private Catholic college’s west entrance and on the lawn in front of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, USD’s “Angels Unawares” is similar to a much-larger sculpture commissioned by Pope Francis and placed in St. Peter’s Square in 2019. That one, made of bronze and almost twice the size, was also designed by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz, who flew in from Toronto early Thursday to attend the dedication at USD.
Schmalz said his 2019 sculpture at the Vatican faced some backlash from purists because, he said, “it didn’t match the Berninis,” referring to the work in St. Peter’s Square by 17th-century Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
That didn’t matter, Schmalz said: “It may not match the Berninis, but it matches the Gospels.”
The original Vatican sculpture and its San Diego counterpart feature 140 migrant figures, huddled together, with a pair of angel wings emerging from the center, a reference to the Hebrews 13:2 biblical verse: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
The new “Angels Unawares” sculpture by artist Timothy Schmalz was unveiled in front of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego on Dec. 18, 2025. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
‘A movement of the human heart’
During a Mass he celebrated with the campus community before the dedication, Pham, who officially became San Diego’s bishop in July, said “migration is not only a movement of people but a movement of the human heart.”
In a way, he said, “every migrant’s story is the story of the Holy Family,” alluding to Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph, who traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to Jesus.
“We are called to stay focused on Christ and to remember that the Holy Family too were refugees and migrants,” said Pham, who as bishop is the leader of the region’s 1.3 million Catholics. “We are called to look after each other and every migrant and refugee with dignity.”
That sentiment was echoed by James T. Harris III, president of the University of San Diego, who delivered emotional opening remarks often punctuated by personal testimony of his grandparents’ journey to America as immigrants.
“This sculpture is a depiction of migrants and refugees from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds and throughout and diverse periods,” he said. “They stand together, shoulder to shoulder, huddled” on a boat atop waves.
In his remarks, Harris thanked the artist for creating an “inspired work” that is a “perfect addition to our beautiful campus.”
It will, he added, serve as a “reminder every day that we must look out for those who are the most vulnerable parts of our society.”
At times, Harris’ speech sounded more like a call to action.
“Yes, as a nation, we have the right and the responsibility to create our own immigration policies to advance our national agenda,” he said. “But we have forgotten that we also have a responsibility — a responsibility to treat all immigrants, even those who are undocumented, with dignity, with compassion and fairness, and to never let hatred and cruelty define us as a nation.”
“We are better than this, and we must stand up for the rights of immigrants and refugees, regardless of their land of origin and advocate for the fair and equitable treatment of all.”
The sculpture, funded by donors who wished to remain anonymous, arrived in San Diego a month ago after being designed and built in Schmalz’s hometown of Toronto.
‘Today, we honor migrants’
After a trip to the Vatican, Harris returned to San Diego still in awe of the original “Angels Unawares.” He was so moved by it that he approached Mary Whelan, who oversees the university’s art collections, and asked her to find out who the artist is and whether he might be willing to create something similar for USD.
“He said, ‘Mary, there’s this sculpture in the Vatican and it really resonated with me, and I would love to find out who did it. So I said, ‘Well, let me find out. Google’s my friend.’ I was able to locate the artist. I reached out and was connected with his foundry. He called me right away.”
Whelan said she was surprised he responded but welcomed the opportunity to chat some more. Emails became phone calls and eventually a Zoom meeting, where the artist and Whelan presented Harris with a maquette, or a preliminary model, of the final sculpture.
That was in February of 2024. It took more than a year to create the sculpture for USD, and Whelan said the sculpture “really resonates with us because it speaks to us — our values and our mission — as a contemporary Catholic university.”
“As the grandson of immigrants, this sculpture reminds me of how Biblical teachings encourage us to care for our most poor and vulnerable communities, including those who flee their countries in search of a better life,” Harris said. “I hope this sculpture can provide our Torero community with feelings of compassion that transcend all borders and politics.”
Harris challenged those in attendance and the community beyond USD’s walls to “not sit idly by.”
“We’re going to do this by seeking justice, by working for peace, and by leading with love. Today, we honor migrants across the nation and their contributions to our society. We honor their hard work, their integrity and the faith that brought them to this country.”
James T. Harris III, president of the University of San Diego, with San Diego bishop Michael Pham and artist Timothy Schmalz, who designed and created “Angels Unawares,” a copper sculpture on the grounds of the USD campus. (University of San Diego)