Images of Faith in the City

At the Fordham University’s Susan Lipani Gallery. Photos by Tabea Weczerek

By Tabea Weczerek

For Bronx-born David González, faith and religion in a place like New York can have very different manifestations. They can be found in a colorful mural honoring the dead in Castle Hill, in the compassionate work of a catholic worker in the East Village, or on a bold storefront sign in the Bronx.

His first solo show, “Urban Devotions: Images of Faith in the City,” held at Fordham University’s Susan Lipani Gallery from January 21 to February 17, 2025, showcased forms of urban spirituality through the many lenses he’s used in his career spanning over four decades as a photographer and journalist.

His interest in covering expressions of faith in the city dates to his early years at The New York Times, where he worked as a journalist covering New York, especially the Bronx. He is also part of the Seis del Sur, a collective of Nuyorican photographers that capture the South Bronx.

“They looked out not just for the spiritual health of the community but also for their social and economic wellbeing.” -- David González, Former New York Times Bronx Bureau Chief and Latin American and Caribbean Bureau Chief

González has always been fascinated by how religion plays out in people’s lives, particularly in their day-to-day lives. His inspiration came from growing up as a Latino Catholic in the South Bronx and his work as a journalist covering the city. “I realized in some of my old neighborhoods that the church has really done a significant job of organizing its congregation to demand proper treatment for residents from city officials,” said González. “They looked out not just for the spiritual health of the community but also for their social and economic wellbeing.”

One photo that captured this spirit is taken from over the shoulder of a Catholic worker as he extends his hand through a window, giving bread to a man outside. The angle of the shot focuses the viewer’s attention on the act of giving and receiving in a warm moment of kindness. The small statue of a saint holding baby Jesus on the right side of the picture echoes this expression of caregiving.

Another particularly remarkable image was a raw portrait of Father John Grange, a Bronx priest who, as González mentioned, did much for the community until his passing. Taken at the Calvary Hospital near the end of his life, the picture captures him with a subtle smile, his gaze directed slightly off-camera, his shirtless torso contrasting with the blurred dark background.

Eileen Markey, associate professor of journalism at Lehman College who moderated an artist talk with González, praised how he revealed the ineffable in his photographs. “I’m a big fan of David’s work. He’s capturing what makes the community in the Bronx very special,” said Markey. For her, his work reveals an alternative source of strength and community, illustrating a more tender image of the Bronx. “For the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture, it was important to create a space to reflect on these matters,” said Markey. “To think about the roles religion, belief, and faith play in the lives of New Yorkers.”

The exhibition featured images that reinterpreted secularism in the buzzing New York cityscape and highlighted spaces and signs that are often overlooked and unacknowledged. The photos included shots of streetside altars, murals, statues, portraits, religious signs on storefronts and sidewalks, and snapshots of individuals in moments of prayer. Compiled over a decade of work and composed of color and black-

and-white images, it ultimately serves as a documentary record of lived religion in the 21st century.

“I hope people come away from it with an appreciation for all these little signs that are all around us if you know how to look,” said González on the intention behind his project. “To realize that there are all these details around us and to give us some approximation where we’re at right now and perhaps where we’re going to.” Through the images, he hoped to encourage people to reflect on their relationship to faith or the city and approach things with open eyes.