Home again
in its original location on Brighton Campus
Boston College’s wood-carved Holy Family sculpture is back in place on Brighton Campus, following some eight months of much-needed repairs.
Just a few hours after the first American pope was announced in Rome on May 8, the 4,600-pound statue was lowered onto a freshly-poured concrete base behind the McMullen Museum, where it can once again be enjoyed by passersby on Commonwealth Avenue. Artist Ken Packie joined a team of workers to ensure the statue was angled correctly, and he plans to return to touch up areas scuffed during transport.
“I love the way it’s looking but I see a few spots I missed,” he mused from the sidewalk that day. “Just some fine-tuning and then we’ll call it good.”
The sculpture now rests on a concrete base (Lee Pellegrini)
Packie carved the sculpture in 2021 from the trunk of a 200-year-old oak tree, which had been ravaged by carpenter ants. Last summer, BC landscapers discovered signs of insect damage along the sculpture’s base, as well as deep cracks formed by prolonged exposure to the sun.
In August 2024, the sculpture was removed from its base for the first time and trucked to western Massachusetts, where Packie removed nearly 700 pounds of damaged material, mostly from the base. He also sanded down the entire exterior, and, before applying varnish, used a chisel to sharpen details lost to sanding, like eyes and fingernails.
Going forward, said Associate Director for Landscape Services Scott McCoy, his team will use borate rods to stave off pests and rot, and reapply a protective varnish annually to shield the sculpture from the sun.
But for now, he and Packie are just happy to see the statue safely back in place.
“We received a lot of inquiries asking about it,” McCoy said. “It’s clear the community really values it.”