Saint Francis Xavier Parish is statue's new home

Intermountain Catholic

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Michael Peery's sculpture of St. Francis of Assisi welcomes all to St. Francis Xavier Church and School. IC photo/Christine Young

KEARNS — Michael Peery, a welder and artist, created a sculpture of Saint Francis of Assisi but has been unable to sell it for the past 13 years. While he was coming out of surgery after losing his leg in a motorcycle accident, he envisioned donating it to Saint Francis Xavier Parish and School in Kearns.

Peery spent two months in the hospital after the accident on Aug. 8 that severely damaged his leg.

"They tried to save my leg for about a month but were unable to," said Peery, who owned and operated Metal Maddness and Art Gallery before the accident. "I’d just gotten out of surgery from having my leg amputated above the knee and I didn’t know where I was or who I was, but I knew I needed to find a home for the saint and St. Francis Church and School seemed like the perfect place. I called Father Moriarty from my hospital bed."

Father Robert Moriarty, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, received that call from IHC Hospital about 8 p.m. more than 10 weeks ago.

"Michael Peery asked me if I wanted the statue that was eight feet tall," Fr. Moriarty said. "He said he did artistic sculpting but was closing his shop because of the accident. I looked up his website, and told him, ‘Of course, we’ll want that, it’s a piece of artwork, one of a kind.’ We’re actually thrilled to have it."

The statue weighs about 2,600 pounds and has an arm span of eight and a half feet. It was appraised at $120,000. Peery began sculpting the statue in 1996, while living at the St. Francis Hotel in Hollywood, Calif.

The statue was commissioned by a doctor, "who wanted me to construct a monument of St. Francis that was bigger than life," Peery said. "When I was finished, he decided he couldn’t pay for it. It took me two years and about 1,600 hours to sculpt.

"I used about 10 miles of round quarter-inch steel rods to form the gown and eighth-inch rods for his head," said Peery. "His hands and feet are made out of half inch plate and his hair and beard are made of chains. The rope for his gown is a half-inch bar and I used a stainless steel cross. I’ve been welding since 1991. I learned the skill of welding designs after watching a man weld artistic designs on a fence."

Peery returned to Utah to be closer to family in 2003 and opened his welding business and art gallery. He purchased a five-foot high tree stump on which to mount the statue of St. Francis. But on 500 West and 3500 South, "it wasn’t getting too much attention," he said.

Peery is pleased the statue finally has found a home.

"He needs to be in the public eye where people can appreciate him," he said. "I’m trying to give back to God, even though I am Catholic but not religious. I learned a lot about St. Francis and he has always had a special place in my heart."

Fr. Moriarty blessed the statue on Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and the students from St. Francis Xavier School sang "The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi."

"Peery came to the blessing and he was really moved," said Fr. Moriarty.

"The blessing was really touching and brought me to tears," said Peery, who spoke to the children about the importance of receiving an education. "Faith, family and teamwork are important," he told the students. "Take your education seriously. Accept learning as a challenge because it’s fun to learn. I should have done that when I was young. Now I really enjoy learning."