The "Homeless Jesus" statue was installed on the church grounds in February and a dedication ceremony will take place Feb. 26.[/caption]

The statue of a homeless man with holes in his feet wrapped in a blanket was permanently installed outside Central Presbyterian Church in February.

The artwork "Homeless Jesus" was created by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz, who first installed the piece in Toronto. Central Presbyterian Church will dedicate its "Homeless Jesus" artwork at the corner of Eighth and Brazos streets on at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 26.

"Our church sits three blocks from the state Capitol and three blocks from the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. This statue sits at the intersection between power and powerlessness," Central Presbyterians Pastor Joseph Moore said. "Tonight over 2,000 people will sleep on the streets of our great city, and we believe this statue has the potential to inform the ongoing conversation around the issue of affordable housing and chronic homelessness in Austin."

In late 2013 a version of the statue gained recognition after Pope Francis blessed it in St. Peters Square.

Central Presbyterian Church was able to purchase the statue because of a gift given anonymously in memory of Rose and Jim Lancaster, who served homeless people in Austin for more than 50 years, according to Moore. Rose was a founding member of Front Steps, the organization in charge of the downtown Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or ARCH, which assists homeless persons, Moore said.

He has had a picture of the statue in his office since summer 2013 when he first heard of it. He said he hung it up because he felt so moved by the message behind the art.

"We hope that this [statue] inspires continued conversation about homelessness in our city and the value of every human being," Moore said.