We warmly welcome you to St Leonard’s, the first Church built by Italian immigrants in New England in 1873. 
 
Through this unique interactive tribute all immigrants called the Noble Journey Sculpture (NJS), we invite you to not only walk the Noble Journey taken by millions of Italian immigrants who came to this country but to follow in their inspirational footsteps. This beautiful bronze work replicates the gangway used by millions of immigrants to disembark into America but holds a special place in the hearts of all those who first settled here in the North End, between 1850-1920. It stands as a lasting reminder of the importance of their inspirational and courageous faith which lead them to construct one of the first Shrines dedicated to St Anthony and later the upper church dedicated to St Leonard. 
 
This precious sculpture is a gift from the North End Historical Society and the community-based Friends of the North End and will be installed in September and dedicated on September 29th, 2024 at 1:00 PM.
 

For more details about donors and history of the sculpture, visit the North End Historical Society website Go there now 

The Sculpture was conceived by Fr. Michael Della Penna, pastor of St. Leonard Church, the late Dr. Michael Annunziata, one of the founders of the Friends of the North End, and renowned sculptress and public artist Nancy Schön (www.schön.com.) Most famous for the “Make Way for Ducklings” in the Boston Public Garden, Nancy Schön has produced over 30 public artworks and dozens of sculptures worldwide.  Nancy considers the Noble Journey Sculpture the most important artistic contribution of an illustrious six-decade career.

The project was publicly launched in September 2023 at the annual reunion of the fraternal Friends of the North End, an organization of over 300 current and former North Enders.

It is being funded by contributions from over 300 individuals and organizations from the North End and beyond.