BOSTON -- Hundreds of people filled the peace garden of St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish in Boston's North End on Sept. 29 for the dedication of "The Noble Journey," a sculpture honoring the Italian immigrants who have had an immeasurable impact on the neighborhood's history and culture.

For some of those who attended the dedication, there was one question on their minds: "Where's the sculpture?"

They didn't realize that the sculpture was beneath their feet.

"The Noble Journey" sits directly in front of the church's Hanover Street entrance. Designed by Nancy Schon, best known for her "Make Way for Ducklings" sculpture in the Boston Public Garden, "The Noble Journey" consists of a series of footprints, of all shapes and sizes, cast into bronze. When she received the commission from St. Leonard's, the Friends of the North End, and the North End Historical Society, Schon knew she didn't want to make a statue. She wanted to make something interactive.

"You might step where your grandparents might have stepped, and you would feel the weight of history under your feet," Schon, 96, said at the dedication.

The title of the sculpture came from North End Historical Society member Tony Cortese's daughter Jackie. When Jackie was in high school, she did a project about her Italian immigrant grandparents and titled it "The Noble Journey."

"I'm overcome, as you can imagine," Schon said. "It's really here, and I'm so thrilled. And I love the title, 'Noble Journey.' It tells the story of hope, a better life for all of us."

She asked the audience to raise their hands if they, their parents, their grandparents, or their great grandparents were immigrants. Everyone raised their hands.

"I find this so humbling because, in fact, we all are," she said. "And we must not only welcome, but in fact we have an obligation to support other immigrants trying to enter this country. Your ancestors and mine built America."

Father Michael Della Penna, pastor of St. Leonard's, said that if it wasn't for his grandmother instilling the faith in him, he would never have become a priest.

"We can remember our grandparents and walk in their footsteps," he said. "Where does it lead? Right here. That's what they thought was most important, building a place where they can honor God, putting God first in our life. Everything else follows from that."

He blessed the sculpture with holy water and encouraged everyone to pray for their immigrant ancestors.

"Let's not just allow this to be a historic object, a museum piece," he said. "This genius allows us to experience this beautiful journey. It invites all of us to take that same voyage to God, that journey to God."

When it was built in 1873, St. Leonard's was the first Italian Catholic church in New England. North End Historical Society President Tom Damigella called it "the spirit, heart, and soul of the North End."

As he spoke, Damigella held his mother's passport photo. She came to the U.S. from Sicily in 1925, when she was seven years old, and moved with her family into 284 Hanover Street.

"We are telling the immigrant story of Italians and their culture coming into this incredible neighborhood," Damigella said. "Just think, 120 years ago, this is where many of our relatives first took their steps off that ship, down the gangway into the New World."

The campaign to build "The Noble Journey" began in 2020, when Dr. Michael Annunziata, co-founder of Friends of the North End, saw a similar sculpture honoring the Italian immigrants who came to St. Louis, Missouri.

"He saw that statue, and his first impression was, 'Why can't we do that in the North End?'" said Friends of the North End Co-founder Victor Passacantilli. "It became a passion for him, and it became a vision for him."

After retiring from his psychiatric practice, Dr. Annunziata spent the last eight months of his life campaigning to build the sculpture with the help of Father Della Penna. He died in 2023 at age 81.

"I am deeply grateful from the bottom of my heart," Passacantilli said, "and I know I can say one thing right now: May God continue to bless my dear deceased friend Michael Annunziata, and I know, I am so confident, I know today he is resting in peace."

The sculpture cost $120,000, which came solely from donations. Many of those donations came from North End residents, businesses, and civic groups.

"One of the things that it speaks to me about is family, you know, the North End," Father Della Penna said. "If it's nothing else, it's us coming together, being united, united in faith. That's what makes us strong. We're stronger together."

Damigella read a letter that accompanied one donation: "My dad was a Holy Name member. He also collected at Saturday night Mass. He was very devoted to St. Leonard's Church. He attended St. Anthony School, as did all six of his children. My grandparents were among those who took the steps down the gangway from Italy to America. I also married a resident of the North End. I feel it would be an honor to walk the footsteps of our ancestors whose dream it was to make a better life."

"That sums it up, doesn't it?" Damigella said.

Along with donations, donors sent in photographs of their immigrant ancestors. Those photographs will be permanently displayed on the St. Leonard's website, and on a poster that was unfurled at the dedication. An explanatory plaque will soon be installed next to the sculpture, with a QR code leading to the photo gallery.

"It brought tears to my eyes, because my grandparents are on there," Damigella said. "My mother's picture is on there. It's just a wonderful feeling to see this with the sculpture."