Sacred Heart Campus Repairs and Rededicates Statue of Jesus

Treasured Jesus Statue Returns to Position of Prominence Welcoming All in Need

St. Luke’s University Health Network has cared for famous athletes, actors and politicians – and now it can add an historic statue of Jesus to the list.

The Network recently repaired the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue, initially dedicated in 1915, and restored it to prominence in the front entrance of St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus in Allentown. In March 2023, vandals toppled the art piece, breaking its arm, and it has taken more than two years to repair the zinc and copper sculpture using a nearly lost art. It was rededicated during a special ceremony at the hospital on June 13.

“We hope this statue will inspire peace and goodwill to all who view it regardless of their faith, creed or nationality,” St. Luke’s President & CEO Rick Anderson said. “This statue has been a source of comfort for many people who have lived in this neighborhood for decades, and we intend for it to be a welcoming symbol for the area’s newer residents as well.” 

A revered symbol in Roman Catholicism, the Sacred Heart symbolizes Christ’s love for humanity through his sacrifice on the cross.

“It is especially meaningful that St. Luke’s University Health Network has chosen to re-dedicate the statue during June, an entire month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—devoted to making known Christ’s loving and merciful heart,” said The Most Reverend Alfred A. Schlert, Bishop of Allentown. Bishop Schlert will re-dedicate the statue and celebrate Mass at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Hospital on June 13.

“I am grateful to St. Luke’s University Health Network for their commitment to restoring the statue of Our Lord’s Sacred Heart—an effort that required great care and perseverance to return this cherished image to the Sacred Heart Campus.”

Sacred Heart Hospital was initially founded in 1915 by Reverend Monsignor Peter Mason (1867-1926) and the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart to provide care to those in the community afflicted by the then diphtheria epidemic that raged through Allentown. To demonstrate Monsignor Mason’s commitment to healthcare in Allentown, the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue was dedicated on October 18, 1915, and placed at the hospital’s entrance to symbolize “all in need are welcome to receive care.” An Italian sculptor from the Daprato Statuary Co. in Philadelphia crafted the original copper and zinc statue utilizing a process now a lost art. 

Fittingly, the inspiration for the statue’s restoration came from former St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus President Frank Ford, who retired in December 2023.

Ford had initially planned to retire in 2018, having served as president of St. Luke’s Allentown Campus for over 20 years. However, Sacred Heart Hospital joined St. Luke’s University Health Network, and he received an offer he couldn’t refuse – the opportunity to revitalize the hospital, the only hospital in downtown Allentown.

In the years immediately following St. Luke’s acquisition of Sacred Heart, St. Luke’s invested $42 million into the hospital, directly contributing to the health and wellbeing of the residents of the city’s urban core.

“The statue, with its outreached arms and gentle expression, also represents St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus’ commitment to welcome all in need, regardless of their ability to pay,” Ford said. “When Sacred Heart Hospital was on the brink of closure, St. Luke’s agreed to merge it into its Network when no one else would. St. Luke’s leadership wanted to ensure that nearby residents who walked or took the bus to the hospital would continue receiving cost-effective, high-quality health care close to home.”

Ford grew up in a house at 614 N. Law Street, just four blocks from Sacred Heart, which at the time was the city’s “Catholic hospital” serving many German, Irish and Slavic Catholics who lived in the surrounding blue-collar, working-class neighborhood. Over time, Catholic immigrants from other areas, such as the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, moved to the area.

As a teenager, Ford passed the structure on his way from home from Allentown Catholic High School. He recalled that the statue graced the entrance until it was removed in the 1970s, when a seven-story inpatient tower was erected. At that time, Ford said Sacred Heart, with its hospital, church, rectory and schools, was the region’s first multi-faceted health care campus.

Later, the hospital moved the statue to an area where few people could see it. However, when Ford assumed the presidency, he had a clear view of the statue from his office window. Determined to repair the statue, Ford initially contracted artist Fernando DeJesus. 

“The sculpture is beautiful,” DeJesus said. “It’s in great shape. It was very well done. Using the other hand as a guide, DeJesus molded the lost limb from clay for reproduction in bronze. He worked on the sculpture in plain view of passersby.

In yet another twist, when DeJesus attempted to reattach the new arm to the sculpture, he realized that the statue was not made of bronze, but rather a copper plated cast zinc, referred to as “orbronze.” Zinc is a difficult metal to work with because it has a low melting temperature and creates toxic fumes. Zinc statue production ceased in the 1950s.  Eventually, St. Luke’s secured the metal compound needed to replicate the arm and found a metal worker in Philadelphia capable of forging and reattaching it.

“While I was working on it, people of all ages would walk by and give the sign of the cross or say quick little prayers,” said DeJesus. “They would say thank you, or it’s about time. This happened two or three times every day. You start to understand that art has power.”