St. Leonard’s Church was the first Roman Catholic Church founded by Italian immigrants in Boston. Built in 1873, St. Leonard’s was restored in 1988. Women were prominent in the drive which raised more than a million dollars for the project. Their names are included on the tablets in the church’s Peace Garden.
The Noble Journey, a sculpture by Nancy Schön (see above), honors the sacrifice and struggles of Italian immigrants who settled in Boston’s North End between 1850 and 1920. It was dedicated in 2024 at the Peace Garden of St. Leonard Church. The Journey’s concept: recalling a gangway of a ship from the Old World to the New that immigrants would have walked, with the goal of reminding visitors of their values, challenges, courage, and dedication to making their vision a reality.
