Mural Hidden for Decades Behind Wall of Lowell Church Undergoes Restoration
A once-forgotten mural hidden behind the wall of a Lowell church is receiving newfound attention and a much-needed restoration.
The recently unearthed mural at St. Anthony’s Church is the focus of artist Michael Vieira, who is restoring the work of art depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ pro bono. The mural had been covered over by drywall during a 1990s-era church remodel.
The crucifixion mural was rediscovered after the Rev. Luiz Lopes of St. Anthony’s Church spoke with a parishioner in October 2024. The individual suspected something, perhaps a painting, might be behind a wall in the church to the left of where the congregation faces the church’s main altar.
They decided to cut into a small part of the wall to determine whether anything was beyond the sheetrock.
“When I saw a painting on the back, I felt motivated to open everything. When we removed everything, we saw a beautiful painting there,” Lopes told The (Lowell) Sun.
According to Vieira, the mural was painted by a North End artist, B.E. Lanza, in 1961. Lanza, an Italian-American artist and art restorer, was known for his religious artwork, which can be found in churches along the East Coast from Maine to the District of Columbia.
Lanza and Vieira share an unlikely artist connection: They both attended The Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston.
Vieira said that performing the restoration work for the church is personally fulfilling. He recalls attending St. Anthony’s as a child and seeing the mural before it was covered up. “I feel grateful. Grateful that it happened to me,” he said in an interview with WBZ-TV. “I really, really do.”
