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The Michelangelo Legacy: From Private Collector to Public Blessing
A Calling, Not a Collection
I never set out to be a philanthropist… I simply responded to what felt like an inner calling. When I first encountered the opportunity to acquire Vatican-authorized castings of Michelangelo’s sacred works—the Pietà, Tondo Taddei, Tondo Pitti, and Madonna of the Steps—I recognized that these masterpieces carried more than artistic worth; they were inspirational and I felt they carried a divine responsibility.
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As much as I enjoyed them in my own private collection, being around them made me realize that each one was a messenger of beauty, faith, and hope waiting to be shared.
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I remember the story of Michelangelo carving his name into the Pietà. When someone in Rome once claimed that the sculpture had been created by another artist, Michelangelo, still young and unknown, returned that night and carved “Michelangelo Buonarroti” across Mary’s sash — the only work he ever signed. He wanted the world to know whose hands God had guided in creating such beauty.
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I often think about that moment because I believe God placed the same conviction in my heart — that Michelangelo’s masterpieces were never meant to remain hidden in the Vatican to be seen by only a few. They were meant to inspire the world. I believe that’s what Michelangelo would have wanted.
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That’s why I feel called to help share his sacred works everywhere — to honor Michelangelo’s legacy, affirm his divine gift, and let people around the globe experience the presence of God through his art.
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What began as a private endeavor soon revealed a public mission… to place these works where they could inspire prayer, reflection, and renewal for a closer walk with God.
From Stewardship to Service
The transition from collector to philanthropist was born in quiet moments of reflection. Standing before the Pietà, I realized that beauty like this belongs to the people… to those who need to see mercy and feel grace.
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I started by donating a Pieta to his wife’s home church in Socorro, Texas to honor her family who served in that church their whole lives, and one to his family’s church in Rome, NY (where he was an altar boy) in dedication to his parents.
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Those donations became the foundation for the Michelangelo Legacy Project—an initiative to steward authorized, museum-grade castings of Michelangelo’s greatest sacred sculptures, and to place them where they can lift hearts toward heaven.
Authorized by the Vatican… Inspired by Heaven
In 2009, the Vatican Observatory Foundation authorized precise mold castings of the Pietà for educational and devotional use. These castings preserve every curve and contour of Michelangelo’s original marble in St. Peter’s Basilica, offering an experience so authentic that even art historians are moved to reverence.
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Our mission was clear… to identify communities, churches, and institutions where these works could become permanent beacons of faith. From parishes in the American heartland to major ministries like Lakewood Church, and world-class venues like the Museum of the Bible, each placement has been guided by prayer and purpose, ensuring that art serves life, not vanity.
The Power of Presence
Words can move the mind, but beauty moves the soul. When visitors stand before the Pietà, something sacred happens. They see not marble, but mercy. They encounter silence that speaks. They experience what I call “evangelization through beauty.”
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Each installation… whether at Liberty University, parish sanctuaries, or public spaces, becomes a living sermon in stone. Through guided reflections, lighting, and educational displays, the sculptures help people encounter Christ through art, often igniting vocations, conversions, or renewed faith.
Building Bridges Through the Catholic Loyalty Foundation
The Catholic Loyalty Foundation, our 501(c)(3) partner, plays an essential role in the Michelangelo Legacy. It helps parishes and ministries build financial sustainability through commerce-driven funding, and it serves as the philanthropic channel for funding, gifting, and placement of these sacred works.
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This bridge between faith and finance ensures that this beautiful artwork can be sustainable for generations to come and proves that generosity, technology, and faith can work together.
From Art to Apostolate
Over the years, the Michelangelo Legacy has evolved into a movement, uniting benefactors, artisans, clergy, and laity. Our stewardship model ensures that every placement includes documentation, provenance, and a care plan so the sculpture’s message endures for generations.
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In this way, the project embodies the same principles that have guided and evolved over the course of my life of entrepreneurial ventures: integrity, transparency, and shared purpose. It is faith meeting form, commerce serving creation.
The Bottom Line
What began as a personal collection has become a living act of stewardship… a way to bring Michelangelo’s faith-filled genius into modern hearts. Each sculpture, each placement, is a silent homily in stone… reminding us that the Creator still speaks through creation, and that beauty, when shared, becomes grace and inspiration.