From the Vatican to the Shrine

By Rocio Granados - La Voz Catolica

Photography: ROCIO GRANADOS | LVC

MIAMI | The first time that Mike Fernández saw the sculpture Angels Unawares was four or five years ago in the Vatican. He was moved by the fact that “it depicts all the immigrant groups in the history of the world, starting with the Neanderthals when they migrated to the north, and continues to this day.”

The bronze sculpture shaped like a boat filled with immigrants and refugees “represents who we all are, from all nations, from all countries, from all parts of the world. We are all immigrants,” said Fernández. That is why “this sculpture struck me as something that should be in Miami,” added the businessman and philanthropist.

“Immigrants are the fuel for economic progress, the driving force behind education,” he said. That is why, as a tribute to immigrants and refugees, he decided to donate two sculptures to the Archdiocese of Miami: Angels Unawares and Be Welcoming, both by renowned Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz.

Despite the heavy rain, Archbishop Thomas Wenski blessed the two sculptures Aug. 22, 2025, at Our Lady of Charity National Shrine, also known as La Ermita de la Caridad. In addition to the archbishop, Schmalz, and Fernández, Father José Espino, rector of the shrine, was also present, along with Daniela Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County, and several community leaders.

Father Espino thanked Schmalz, Fernández and his family for their generous donation, and Archbishop Wenski for choosing the shrine to be the home of these works of art.

May these sculptures “open our eyes and hearts to the Gospel call to welcome the stranger, to care for the least among us, and to recognize the divine image in every human life,” prayed Father Espino during the blessing of the first sculpture, Be Welcoming, located at the entrance of the shrine.

“May this shrine remain a place of encounter where art becomes prayer and beauty becomes a bridge to compassion,” added the priest.

“May we never hesitate to welcome those whose journeys have been marked by suffering, whose hope is fragile but still burning,” said Archbishop Wenski in his prayer. “May our hospitality become worship, and may we act to welcome those closer to you.”

The second sculpture, Angels Unawares, was unveiled by Fernández and Schmalz. It is a copy of the original sculpture in the Vatican, but at 10 feet, it’s half its size. The sculpture is located in front of the shrine’s waterfront promenade.

“In this boat you will find Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus. You will find Italian, Cuban and other immigrants who have arrived on these shores because we are all in the same boat, and this reminds us of our common humanity,” the archbishop said during the blessing.

“We are here because this country accepted us,” Fernández said. “This is our adopted homeland.”

He mentioned that he served the United States in the Vietnam War, and his love for this country has grown over time. That’s why “it pains me to see how people like us are being treated, incarcerated.”

Fernández expressed hope that U.S. leaders would understand that the one percent of immigrants who commit crimes do not represent all migrants. He urged that today’s newcomers be welcomed in the same spirit as European immigrants were. “All of them have their place in U.S. history,” he said.

Due to current immigration policy, Fernández said he feels compelled to speak out, because the immigrants themselves cannot.

 

Sculptures in a sanctuary

The placement of the two sculptures at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity began a year and a half ago. It was decided that they should be placed in a location that “would be seen by many people and be meaningful,” said Katie Blanco Bourdeau, president of the Archdiocese of Miami’s Development Corporation, whose office was in charge of the project. The archbishop suggested the shrine “because it has a lot of foot traffic,” she added.

The sculptor, Fernández, and Blanco Bourdeau visited the shrine with Father Espino to decide where to place the sculptures. The first sculpture installed was Be Welcoming. It was also decided that a smaller copy of Angels Unawares would be more appropriate for the space. However, its installation was delayed because the size of the sculpture required special ground preparation.

Blanco Bourdeau said, “it is really meaningful” to see the sculptures installed at the shrine where many people can see them. “I’m glad they’re here. It’s special to be able to see something that’s also in the Vatican, and its significance, particularly with everything that’s going on with immigration.”

Schmalz has been working on Scripture-based sculptures for a long time, and his works have been installed in several countries.

He says he feels like “an artistic soldier of the Vatican, because my entire work is to promote the Vatican’s message through works of art.”

The artist noted that it is “absolutely beautiful and perfect” that his Vatican sculptures are now at the shrine. “I hope they further this sanctuary, making it an oasis where people can come for peaceful meditation and prayer. Even if not everyone can go to Rome, they can come here to Miami.”

Having a sculpture representing immigrants is a message to the current administration. “They need us, even if they don’t want us,” said Fernández.

“I ask my Cuban, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan brothers and sisters who live in this community to speak up, to complain,” he added, “because if they remain silent, the same thing that happened in our countries will happen here to us.”

Grace Veloz, director of administration and development at the shrine, said “it is an honor to have these works of art in the Shrine.”

“This sanctuary was built by immigrants, and this is how we should evangelize, because we are all immigrants,” Veloz pointed out.

About Schmalz’s sculptures

The original Angels Unawares sculpture has been on permanent display in St. Peter’s Square in Rome since it was blessed by Pope Francis Sept. 29, 2019, during World Migrant and Refugee Day.

The 20-foot-long bronze sculpture is inspired by a biblical passage and depicts a group of 140 migrants and refugees from different cultural and racial backgrounds and historical periods, standing together shoulder to shoulder on a raft. Amid the figures, the wings of an angel rise up, signifying the presence of the sacred.

The sculpture Be Welcoming was created in 2019, inspired by the same biblical text that is at the center of Angels Unawares. The sculpture depicts a figure sitting on a bench. From one side, it appears to be a homeless person; from the other, it appears to be an angel.

The sculpture has been installed in some of the world’s most spiritual places, including El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) in Spain and the Shrine of St. Padre Pio in southern Italy.

It was installed in St. Peter’s Square April 15, 2025, with the hope of inspiring people to open their hearts to the poor.