BRAINTREE -- Timothy Schmalz, a world-renowned sculptor whose work has graced St. Peter's Square, as well as churches and shrines throughout the world, will unveil his Life Monument at All Saints Parish in Haverhill this Mother's Day weekend. The installation makes All Saints the first parish in the U.S. where a copy of the Life Monument will be permanently installed.

"We're pretty pumped about that," said Deacon Peter Richardson, who hopes that the presence of the sculpture will make All Saints into "a mini pilgrimage site." "We're pretty excited about that. We think that's a pretty big deal."

The colossal bronze sculpture, which has become one of Schmalz's most popular works since it was first unveiled in 2022, depicts a kneeling woman cradling a world-shaped womb with a fetus inside. The womb is made of mirrored steel, allowing viewers to see themselves with the child in the womb. While the woman's robes make her strongly resemble Mary, Schmalz's website states that she "can be interpreted as the Virgin Mary or as any woman."

"It's a beautiful depiction of the Blessed Mother carrying Jesus, but it's, I guess in a sense, supposed to represent all of life and motherhood," Deacon Richardson said.

After 4 p.m. Mass at All Saints on May 9, Schmalz will be present at the parish for a meet-and-greet and presentation about his work. Those who come to the presentation will be able to get a glimpse of the sculpture before its official dedication on May 10, Mother's Day. Celebrations that day will begin with a bilingual Mass at 12 p.m., followed by remarks from Schmalz and Father David Pineda, parochial vicar of All Saints, who will bless the sculpture. There will also be remarks from Eleanor McCullen, a pro-life activist who would stand outside of Boston Planned Parenthood in order to convince women not to have abortions. Her sidewalk counseling was threatened by Massachusetts's 2008 "buffer zone" law, which required pro-life demonstrators to stay 35 feet away from abortion facilities. In response, McCullen sued. The lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in her favor in 2014.

It was All Saints parishioner Elaine Barker who brought the Life Monument to Haverhill. In January 2022, she came across information on the sculpture in Our Sunday Visitor. She heard a voice, as if from God, telling her to reach out to Schmalz.

"It was an inner feeling that God told me to call him," she said.

She got to meet Schmalz in person at the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress. At first, it did not seem financially feasible for All Saints to have the Life Monument installed in their parish, but Barker did not give up. In 2025, Bishop Robert Hennessey invited her on a pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee Year.

"Again I heard a voice that said, 'You had better go,'" she said.

The pilgrimage included a visit to the Church of San Marcello al Corso, where the Life Monument is permanently installed. Barker told her fellow pilgrims all about the sculpture and how important it was to her. Just days after returning to Haverhill, she received a phone call from an anonymous donor she met in Rome, who offered to cover the cost of bringing the Life Monument to All Saints. In less than two weeks, the parish had received enough donations to pay for a pedestal for the sculpture. As of April 23, the statue has been cleared by customs and will soon be delivered to Haverhill.