Upon entering the front doors of the downtown Youngstown YMCA, a sculpture of Jesus now greets guests.

Sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz, who dedicates himself to creating artwork glorifying Christ, made the work as part of the Matthew 25 series.

This sculpture is the 5th piece in Schmalz' series so far. Each piece portrays a section of Matthew from the Bible. Specifically, this piece draws from Matthew 25:35 which states, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" and is titled "When I Was a Stranger."

Four other sculptures are located at St. Elizabeth Mercy Health Hospital, St. Columba Cathedral, St. John's Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church. The final piece will find its home at Trinity United Methodist Church.

When the final sculpture is placed, Youngstown will join Rome as one of the only cities across the globe to feature all of the sculptures in the Matthew 25 series.

"It is fitting to have 'When I Was a Stranger' at our Y, because the Y is a welcoming place where you can belong. The Central Y has a rich history of welcoming strangers." Tom Gacse, President and CEO of the YMCA, said.

The sculpture was funded by private donors.