‘Christ on the Water’ painting has been restored to a place of prominence at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. The U.S Department of Transportation announced on Monday that the painting which hung at Wiley Hall at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy for nearly 80 years before being relocated to a flood-prone basement in 2023 by the Biden administration has been restored to its former location.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy shared that buring this historic painting in the basement wasn’t just a mistake. It was an insult to the faith and legacy of service that built this Academy and our nation. By restoring the painting to its rightful place, they are sending a clear message to their midshipmen: their Christian faith is a virtue to be proud of, not something to be censored.
The painting, often referred to as “Jesus and the Lifeboat,” was created in 1944 by marine artist LT Hunter Wood, USMS, for the chapel at the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Basic School in San Mateo, California. It portrays merchant seamen in a lifeboat after their ship has been torpedoed, with Jesus guiding them through turbulent seas. When the San Mateo campus closed in 1947, the painting was relocated to Kings Point.
USMMA Acting Superintendent Tony Ceraolo, described that the painting depicts Jesus Christ guiding sailors through stormy seas, as “a piece of the Academy’s cultural and historical legacy” that honors “the past and the resilience of those who came before us.
During Vice Admiral Joanna Nunan’s tenure as head of the institution, the painting was relocated from Wiley Hall following pressure from Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an organization that promotes a strict separation of church and state.
On Monday, Weinstein released a strongly worded statement criticizing the development, claiming it represents an example of “Christian nationalism. He further added that Duffy is making sure to brand the academy as conquered Christian nationalist territory.