Sacred Heart Shrine
Along the right side aisle just past the Baptistry is the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a statue dedicated to the well-known catholic devotion to the sacred heart of Jesus overflowing with infinite love for all humanity.
It is sculpted by Lee Lawrie and is a gift of the Misses Arnold dating from 1925-1928, of variegated marble and stone, with minimal polychrome. In an Art Deco style informed by ancient forms, Christ holds a Host in his left hand. Symbols of the evangelists adorn the fastenings of His robe.
The donors were especially dissatisfied with Christ's head, and Lawrie had to replace it more than once to appease the ladies. The floor had to be reinforced before this shrine was built, due to the weight of the marble.
Lee Lawrie was favored by Gothic Revival architects such as Ralph Adams Cram. His sculptures are found at Rockefeller Center (Atlas, 1937), Saint Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church, Lexington Avenue, and in the reredos at Saint Thomas' Church, Fifth Avenue.
The niche surrounding the Christ statue was designed by Eugene Mason, and executed by Raffaele Menconi. The Baroque console table was a gift of Mr. Abraham Hatfield, Jr. in 1926.
Above the canopy, the Holy Spirit descends while two angels mourn the crucified Christ.
The niche is imitation Caen stone. Behind the ornate marble top console table is a three-panel dado, the center has a gothic frame around the Agnus Dei. The niche's recess was originally painted in imitation lapis lazuli, with stenciled walls outside.