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<\/a>The new \u201cAngels Unawares\u201d 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)\n\u2018A movement of the human heart\u2019<\/p>\n
During a Mass he celebrated with the campus community before the dedication, Pham, who officially became San Diego\u2019s bishop in July, said \u201cmigration is not only a movement of people but a movement of the human heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a way, he said, \u201cevery migrant\u2019s story is the story of the Holy Family,\u201d alluding to Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph, who traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to Jesus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are called to stay focused on Christ and to remember that the Holy Family too were refugees and migrants,\u201d said Pham, who as bishop is the leader of the region\u2019s 1.3 million Catholics. \u201cWe are called to look after each other and every migrant and refugee with dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019 journey to America as immigrants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis sculpture is a depiction of migrants and refugees from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds and throughout and diverse periods,\u201d he said. \u201cThey stand together, shoulder to shoulder, huddled\u201d on a boat atop waves.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, Harris thanked the artist for creating an \u201cinspired work\u201d that is a \u201cperfect addition to our beautiful campus.\u201d<\/p>\n
It will, he added, serve as a \u201creminder every day that we must look out for those who are the most vulnerable parts of our society.\u201d<\/p>\n
At times, Harris\u2019 speech sounded more like a call to action.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, as a nation, we have the right and the responsibility to create our own immigration policies to advance our national agenda,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we have forgotten that we also have a responsibility \u2014 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sculpture, funded by donors who wished to remain anonymous, arrived in San Diego a month ago after being designed and built in Schmalz\u2019s hometown of Toronto.<\/p>\n
\u2018Today, we honor migrants\u2019<\/p>\n
After a trip to the Vatican, Harris returned to San Diego still in awe of the original \u201cAngels Unawares.\u201d He was so moved by it that he approached Mary Whelan, who oversees the university\u2019s art collections, and asked her to find out who the artist is and whether he might be willing to create something similar for USD.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018Mary, there\u2019s this sculpture in the Vatican and it really resonated with me, and I would love to find out who did it. So I said, \u2018Well, let me find out. Google\u2019s my friend.\u2019 I was able to locate the artist. I reached out and was connected with his foundry. He called me right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
That was in February of 2024. It took more than a year to create the sculpture for USD, and Whelan said the sculpture \u201creally resonates with us because it speaks to us \u2014 our values and our mission \u2014 as a contemporary Catholic university.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs 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,\u201d Harris said. \u201cI hope this sculpture can provide our Torero community with feelings of compassion that transcend all borders and politics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris challenged those in attendance and the community beyond USD\u2019s walls to \u201cnot sit idly by.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n