New York parishioners protest removal of beloved artwork from historic church
July 24, 2015
Concerned parishioners gathered outside the residence of New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan on July 23, demonstrating against plans to remove a beloved icon from the Church of Our Saviour.
Although Cardinal Dolan was out of town, archdiocesan officials met briefly with a few of the demonstrators, including Ken Woo, the artist who responsible for the stunning Christ Pantocrator. The meeting was described as “productive,” leaving some hope that the archdiocese would intervene to save the artwork.
The Christ Pantocrator is the most important of a series of icons done by Woo at the request of Father George Rutler, who was pastor of the Church of Our Saviour until 2013. During the tenure of Father Rutler—a noted writer and preacher—the Manhattan parish had been revived, and the building transformed with striking original artworks.
Since the departure of Father Rutler, parishioners loyal to the former pastor have clashed with his replacement, Father Robert Robbins, over staff appointments and religious-education programs. But the most dramatic disagreements have involved plans to undo the renovations that Father Rutler had ordered. Already more than 20 icons had been removed from the sanctuary, and columns that held them have been whitewashed. Protests peaked with the announcement that the Christ Pantocrator would be removed next.
The July 23 demonstration raised questions not only about the pastor’s decision to remove the artwork without consulting parishioners, but also about the rights of the artist to ensure the preservation of his work.
In a statement posted on the parish web site, Father Robbins—who was vacationing when the demonstration took place—said that the new renovations were being undertaken to restore the church to its original condition. All the icons that have been removed are being carefully preserved and stored, and may be installed elsewhere, he said.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
