FULL-SIZE REPLICA OF MICHELANGELO'S LA PIETA COMES TO ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH IN SMITHTOWN

SMITHTOWN, NY 5/29/2015 – A full-sized replica of Michelangelo’s La Pietá – the stunning sculpture depicting Mary cradling her son Jesus Christ after his crucifixion- will be on exhibit at St. Patrick’s R.C. Church beginning Sunday, May 31st and remaining throughout the end of the year. The special exhibit, created under consent from the Vatican by Vescovo Buonarroti Art, will be unveiled at a ceremony in the church on Sunday, May 31st at 2:30 PM.

“Michelangelo’s masterpiece is the image of motherly strength in the face of death. I hope that this inspired piece of sacred art will serve as a fruitful meditation on both the price Jesus paid for human sin and on the divine love that could not be imprisoned in death” said Msgr. Ellsworth R. Walden, Pastor of St. Patrick’s Church. He added, “we are truly fortunate to be the only parish in the Diocese of Rockville Centre to host this inspiring work of art and look forward to welcoming all who will come and visit while the statue is here.”

Created by Michelangelo between 1498 and 1500, La Pietá (which means pity from the Greek word for “compassion”) is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture. It is the only one that Michelangelo ever signed. The original work of art resides at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Rome.

Vescovo Buonarroti was granted the first-ever worldwide exclusive license agreement with the Vatican Observatory Foundation (VOF), to produce and distribute the official replica of Michelangelo’s La Pietá. The full-sized replica is made from a prototype cast from a mold of the original using a marble blend. After casting, it is painstakingly hand-finished by master artisans, ensuring that intricate details of the original, including the folds in Mary’s garments, limp muscles in Jesus’ body, and Michelangelo’s signature on the delicate sash that runs across Mary’s body remain faithful in both detail and subtlety.

St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church is located at 280 East Main Street, in Smithtown, New York. For details on viewing times and other parish information, please visit www.st.patricksmithtown.org or call 631-265-2271.

For more information on Michelangelo’s art and the casting of his La Pietá, go to www.lapieta.com

VOF, a fundraising arm of the Vatican Observatory (the scientific branch of the Vatican, under the direction of The Office of the Holy See) will receive a royalty resulting from all Vescovo’s sales which fall under its licensing agreement with the VOF. All royalties will go toward the furtherance of astronomy and scientific research.