Bust of Pope Leo XIV makes its way home to Trujillo, Peru
Fr. Tony Pizzo, O.S.A., blessed the bust during its installation in Peru, and was joined by the O'Neill family.
A bronze bust of Pope Leo XIV that first drew attention in Chicago in February completed its intended journey in July 2026, taking its place in Trujillo, Peru, where the Holy Father spent decades serving as an Augustinian missionary, pastor, and formator.
Fr. Tony Pizzo, O.S.A., blessed the bust during its installation in Peru, and was joined by Thomas O'Neill and Mary Ann Kennedy-O'Neill who commissioned and oversaw the transportation and installation of the sculpture in honor of their son, Thomas Patrick O'Neill III.
The sculpture is one of three identical busts commissioned and created by internationally renowned Catholic sculptor Timothy Schmalz shortly after Pope Leo's election to the papacy.
The first was unveiled at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago in February 2026, celebrating the institution where then-Fr. Robert Prevost, O.S.A., earned his Master of Divinity in 1982. Its twin was always destined for the Augustinian community in Trujillo, linking the city where Pope Leo studied for ministry with the city where he lived it.
The third sculpture was acquired by the Vatican in January and placed it in the apostolic nunciature in Washington among other papal depictions.
The bronze work captures Pope Leo with a warm, welcoming expression. Beneath his right shoulder, Schmalz incorporated an image of St. Augustine, a subtle reminder of the Holy Father's lifelong identity as an Augustinian friar. Schmalz completed the original clay sculpture within days of Pope Leo's election before it underwent the months-long process of bronze casting. He has described the piece as reflecting "hope and joy," emotions he sought to capture at the beginning of the new pontificate.
While the Chicago installation honored Pope Leo's theological formation, the companion bust carries even deeper significance for the people of northern Peru.
Before serving as Bishop of Chiclayo and later being called to leadership of the worldwide Augustinian Order and the Vatican, Fr. Robert Prevost spent many years ministering in Trujillo. There he taught seminarians, formed young Augustinians, served in parish ministry, and accompanied communities through years marked by political violence and social unrest. According to Fr. John Lydon, O.S.A., who lived alongside the future pope for nearly a decade, the Augustinian community chose to remain with the people despite terrorist threats and instability, sharing both the hardships and hopes of the local Church.
The arrival of the twin bust offers a lasting tribute to that chapter of Pope Leo's life. Rather than commemorating only his election as pope, it recognizes the missionary years that shaped his pastoral identity and forged enduring relationships with the people of Peru.
Together, the two sculptures form a powerful symbol of Pope Leo XIV's journey. One stands in Chicago, where his theological education prepared him for priestly ministry. The other stands in Trujillo, where that education became a life of service among the people he came to love. Separated by thousands of miles but united in purpose, the twin busts reflect the enduring bond between the Midwest Augustinians and their Peruvian mission—a relationship that helped form a missionary, an Augustinian, and ultimately, the first American pope.