St. Pius X Principal Chris Kloesz, Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, Joe Brady, Declan Brady and Levi Brady enjoyed the Nov. 17 dedication of a bronze sculpture dedicated to Don and Mary Gay Brady. GREENSBORO — Students, faculty and staff of St. Pius X School gathered with Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio Nov. 17 as he dedicated a new “Peaceable Kingdom” sculpture at the Greensboro school. The work of art by parishioner Jim Gallucci, an internationally known artist, is a large steel and bronze piece featuring a variety of animals.
The sculpture, dubbed a “beautiful necessity,” was a gift from parishioner Joe Brady and was commissioned by Monsignor Marcaccio. It is dedicated to Brady’s parents, the late Don and Mary Gay Brady, who had a deep love for the Catholic faith and education, giving generously to churches and schools in the diocese as well as those in need in Greensboro. Don Brady was the founder of Brady Services.
The piece not only beautifies the outdoor space at DeJoy Primary Education Center but also solves a safety concern at the top of a steep hill. The sculpture adds safety and beautifies the outdoor space where the youngest students gather to be picked up from school.
“I often affiliated Don with creating a good climate with heating and air conditioning. In fact, the Brady trucks were here so often we were going to give them their own parking spot,” quipped Monsignor Marcaccio, drawing laughter.
“But what Mary Gay and Don created was a climate for life and for the poor – for everything that's good and kind,” he continued. “They created this climate for our Catholic culture and – more important than any heating and air conditioning project – that was what they created.”
Brady donated the sculpture in honor of his parents and said he chose this project because it’s something that would last a long time. His sons, Declan and Levi, currently attend the school, and each had a say about which animals would be represented in the sculpture: a duck and puffin. His daughters, graduates of the school, chose whales.
Other animals were selected in honor of Don and Mary Gay Brady. Monsignor Marcaccio and Gallucci also added a few.
“My father was into racehorses big time, so there are two racehorses here,” Brady said in remarks at the dedication. “My mother was a collector of frogs. She loved frogs in all of her gardens in her house and mountain house.”
“Monsignor came up with ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ as the title for this piece, which honestly in my parents' view of the world, they both tried their best to create that,” Brady said, holding back tears. “They certainly worked hard to try to help this community and do the right thing for Greensboro and the surrounding areas.”
Gallucci also spoke at the dedication, thanking his team and suppliers, noting the need today for the peace the sculpture evokes, and encouraging the students.
“I told Declan and Levi in 50 years you're going to come back here and you're going to stand there and you're going to say to your children, ‘I remember the day we dedicated this. I remember going down to the studio and seeing it being created piece by piece. I remember the smiles and the energy that it created,’” Gallucci said.
He also spoke about the importance of the creative process.
“When you see an idea come to reality, that is an experience we should all cherish because that means there are so many things possible,” he said. “You are all the possibilities of the future. What will you create, what ideas will you bring, and what wonderful things are you going to do with your children in 50 years?”
—Annie Ferguson. Photos by MaryAnn Luedtke and Lindsay Sartorio.
