A Michelangelo Pietà comes to Our Lady of Guadalupe

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

DORAL | An exact replica of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, La Pietà, now graces the narthex of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. The story of how it got there features a series of connections — or perhaps “God-incidences.”

Archbishop Thomas Wenski blessed the replica at the 2023 All Souls Day Mass, which was celebrated at the church because it is located next door to Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery.

“Those who are mourning the death of their loved ones can look at Mary's face in that image and know that Mary understands them completely,” the archbishop said.

“Pietà” translates to pity, or compassion. In Michelangelo’s work, the Virgin Mary expresses a profound sadness while holding the lifeless body of her son. But because no tears streak her flawlessly sculpted cheeks, viewers also find in her a peaceful resolve.

Attendees at the All-Souls Day Mass approached the life-sized Pietà with awe, many whispering prayers of consolation, some reaching out to gently caress the head of Jesus, or silently grasp the upturned hand of Mary.

The sculpture was donated by James L. Case, III, and Elise A. Case in memory of their father, James L. Case, a lawyer specializing in residential and commercial real estate.

David Prada, senior director of the archdiocese’s Building and Property Office, believes that the addition of the Pietà “elevates people’s worship — what artwork is supposed to do.”

And it seems as if this Pietà was destined to be at Our Lady of Guadalupe. The replica of Michelangelo’s masterpiece was made by Nilda Comas, the same local sculptor who made the marble statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe located in the church’s plaza, and the bronze Christ and wooden cross that hangs above the main altar of the church.

A native of Puerto Rico and a Fort Lauderdale resident, Comas studied marble design in Carrara, Italy, famous for the quarries Michelangelo used for his work, including La Pietà. Comas’ other sculptures are exhibited in private and public museums in the United States and abroad.

Prada met Comas by chance at Art and Sculpture Unlimited, the foundry that later cast her bronze Christ for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, and his connection with the artist has endured. She created the statue of a young St. Agnes that now graces the front of the newly built and blessed St. Agnes Church in Key Biscayne.

Almost 20 years ago, Case commissioned the replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà from Comas. At the time they were neighbors in Fort Lauderdale, and she had left her real estate business to pursue sculpting full-time. He was one of her earliest patrons.

“He loved Italy and art, and had quite a collection,” Comas told the Florida Catholic during a recent visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

Case often visited Comas' studio in Pietrasanta, Italy. During one of those trips, she showed him a cast replica of La Pietà. “He looked at it for a long time,” she recalled.

He then told her that when he graduated from law school, his parents gifted him a trip to Rome, where he was very excited to see the Vatican and its museums. When he stood before Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica, he said he felt profoundly moved, and promised himself that if one day he had the means, he would have a personal copy of the sculpture in his home.

Comas had now presented him with the opportunity. She told him, “Let’s go look for the marble, and let’s make it.”

They flew by helicopter to the quarry and found a “very beautiful marble slab” to take back to the studio.

“It was 13 of us, the best in the studio. We had electricity and a good working space, and we marveled, asking, ‘How was it that Michelangelo, at 23, made La Pietà, in a poorly lit studio, by himself, in little over a year?’ It took us three years,” said Comas.

La Pietà is the only work of art ever known to have been signed by Michelangelo, who carved his full name across a diagonal band on the Virgin’s torso.

Comas said she has no doubts that Michelangelo’s artistry on the piece was divinely guided, and she considers the opportunity to work on a replica a highlight of her career.

“We kept perfecting it and perfecting it because we all had a passion to work on it,” she said. 

Case’s home in Fort Lauderdale was under construction when the completed Pietà finally arrived from Italy. He was away on a trip and requested that Comas be present to receive it. She described it as a beautiful and unforgettable day. Construction workers were working on the roof and all around the Case property, most of them either Mexican or of Latino descent. When the panels of the wooden box containing La Pietà fell open, an incredible silence followed.

“The workers stopped what they were doing, the roofers climbed down, and they knelt before La Pietà,” said Comas.

Although Case missed out on the special moment, he did have the opportunity to enjoy La Pietà in his private collection for many years. Nearing his premature death by illness, he reached out to Comas regarding the future of the statue. She told him La Pietà was religiously significant and should go to a church.

“And of all of the churches, I believe Guadalupe, where I have other works, would be a good place. This way, the whole world has an opportunity to see her, because if it goes anywhere else, like a museum, people need to pay to see it. And humble people, families, and the people that have faith are the ones that will enjoy it most,” Comas told him.

Case died Oct. 27, 2019, leaving nothing in writing about the future of the Pietà. But Karen Block, a friend who worked with Case and helped with his estate, remembered the request. Case’s children, James and Elise, now in college, also wanted to fulfill their father’s wish for it to go to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

Just as she did at Case’s home, Comas supervised the transfer and relocation of the Pietà. Case’s son also was present. The siblings planned on visiting the statue and the church during the Christmas holidays. A plaque cut from marble will be added to the priceless piece of art recognizing their family’s generosity.

Father Israel Mago, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said the statue will be a source of blessing for many people.

“It’s a reaffirmation that the Virgin wants to be with us. That she wants to be with all her sons and daughters to intercede for them, to protect them,” he said.