Merchant Marine Academy restores historic ‘Christ on the Water’ painting removed under Biden

October 1, 2025

The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has announced that a painting titled “Christ on the Water” has been restored to its former place of prominence at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.

The Christian Post reports that the painting, which had hung in Wiley Hall at the Academy for nearly 80 years, was relocated to a flood-prone basement in 2023 under the Biden administration.

At an unveiling ceremony held on Monday at the USMMA, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said, “Burying 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.”

Duffy added, “By restoring ‘Christ on the Water’ to its rightful place, we sent a clear message to our midshipmen: their Christian faith is a virtue to be proud of, not something to be censored.”

According to the Christian Post, the painting was removed from Wiley Hall in response to pressure from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which lobbies for strict separation of church and state.

USMMA Acting Superintendent Tony Ceraolo, took over for USMMA Superintendent Vice Admiral Joanna Nunan who stepped down in June.

At the unveiling ceremony, Ceraolo thanked Sec. Duffy for “his continued support of our Academy and the midshipmen who call this place home.”

Ceraolo described the painting, which 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.”

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation says it is considering “aggressive federal litigation” in response to the painting’s restoration.

Photo: top, Credit: United States Department of Transportation