‘Be Not Afraid’

By Anne DiBernardo - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | A modern interpretation of a group of 16 saints by world-renowned Cuban American artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada now adorns the newly acquired spiritual home of UCatholic Campus Ministry, the Catholic Center at the University of Miami, located at 1210 Stanford Drive on the Coral Gables campus.

Rodriguez-Gerada is known for his colossal ethereal and terrestrial works. His latest creation, “Be Not Afraid,” was inspired by Father Richard Vigoa, pastor of nearby St. Augustine Parish.

“Be Not Afraid” is Rodriguez-Gerada’s first religious work and was donated by the artist together with his brother, John, and his extended family. The 25-foot by 12 ½-foot mural flanks one end of the student lounge and was unveiled to the group of students following the evening Mass on March 18, 2025.

“We thank you for this wonderful mural,” said Father Mario Avila Vivero, UM chaplain and parochial vicar at St. Augustine. “When we see all these men and women and saints may we remember that they, just like us, suffered trials, tribulations, and temptations, but they found the strength in your son, Jesus. They were authentic in their love for you. Help us so they can be our inspiration to follow you, always until the joy of heaven,” said Father Avila Vivero.

The mural was part of the Catholic Center renovation project that Rodriguez-Gerada’s family started. “I would like to give my sincere thanks to the Suris family, Robert, Jackie, Annie, and my brother John, who were really pivotal in making this happen as well as this whole incredible renovation,” Rodriguez-Gerada said.

It was John Rodriguez’s wife, Jackie Suris Rodriguez, and her sister, Annie Suris Garcia, both interior designers, who spearheaded the coordination and development of the UCatholic renovation project. As active members of St. Augustine Parish and parents of UM alumni, they consider the students part of their family, and they wanted them to have this gift. Together with their brother, Robert Suris, a developer, and a group of other supporters, they transformed the outdated facility into a refuge for students worthy of a magazine cover.

The realization that Rodriguez-Gerada could perform the work followed a conversation between John Rodriguez and Father Vigoa when they realized something was missing on the oversized, blank wall.

“You know my brother is an artist,” John Rodriguez said. “In fact, he’s recognized for having the largest commissioned portrait by the Smithsonian Museum.  “Out of Many, One” could be seen from the Washington Monument and when landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.”

Shortly afterwards, Father Vigoa and Rodriguez-Gerada began a series of discussions, exchanging hundreds of reference images that would eventually culminate in the modern interpretation of the small community of saints engulfing a student at his desk amid the image of the Holy Spirit.

Father Vigoa and Rodriguez-Gerada chose saints whose lives exemplified deep faith, sacrifice, and service. Unlike the classic Byzantine style, the saints are depicted in a casual manner, garbed as if they were still alive as opposed to their celestial state with halos.

From St. Teresa of Calcutta’s unmistakable sari and St. Pio’s brown robe to St. Faustina’s visor-type wimple and soon-to-be St. Carlo Acutis’ red polo shirt, students can feel right at home amid the company of these familiar saints.

“If you think about what stands out when it comes to artwork, it is the innovation, it’s the artwork created that makes sense in its moment as opposed to the continuous rehashing of something as a stylistic device,” Rodriguez-Gerada said.

The giant caption “Be Not Afraid” was painted using a transparent font with sunrays emanating from below and piercing through the letters, but it does not dominate the painting.

“Even at night, it looks as though the painting is lit up,” said UCatholic student Matthew Justin, reflecting on the mural.

“I think he was right in understanding what was needed in this space… to make it something that was easier to take in, which gives a narrative that is directly connected to this space. It’s not meant to be open-ended and make your own decision about what it’s about. It is literally about the saints,” Rodriguez-Gerada said.

Interestingly, the project took a lot longer than he anticipated. Forty days, to be exact, coinciding with Lent.

Unlike “Out of Many, One,” a temporary piece that Rodriguez-Gerada created using 2,000 tons of sand, 800 tons of soil, 10,000 wooden pegs, and 8 miles of string, “Be Not Afraid” will endure.

Rodriguez-Gerada immigrated to the U. S. with his family in 1970 and settled in North Plainfield, New Jersey. His art career, which spans several decades, has taken him across many continents. He has spent the last 25 years in Barcelona but recently has been traveling back and forth to Miami, where he spends time with his family.