Widows and Orphans in Cathedral Art

Artworks at Washington National Cathedral contain a great many portrayals of “the least among us” in metal, glass, wood, stone, fiber, and other materials. Here are a few highlights of art that treats the stories of widows and orphans as subject matter.

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3. The Widow’s Mite

The Widow’s Mite is one of the most famous stories of Jesus’ ministry. This statue shows a serene, veiled woman with hand gently outstretched as though offering her gift. Enrique Monjo served as both artist and carver of his niche statue, located on the south portal of the Cathedral’s south transept. It is one of a set of eight statues that show aspects of Jesus as an historic figure. Jesus observes the widow thus:

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

—Luke 21:1–3 (NRSV)