New Pope Leo XIV Bust Unveiled in Chicago

Augustinian priest shares stories of Pope's time fighting evil in Peru

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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A new bronze bust of Pope Leo XIV, created by renowned Catholic sculptor Timothy Schmalz, was installed at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago on February 22, 2026. The bust is one of only three such sculptures of the pope, who is an alumnus of CTU. In a homily at the unveiling, Augustinian Father John Lydon recounted his time living and working with the pope, then known as Father Robert F. Prevost, in Peru in the 1990s, where they faced challenges from a local terrorist group.

Why it matters

The installation of the Pope Leo XIV bust at CTU, his alma mater, honors the pope's connection to the school and his early years as a priest serving in Peru, where he confronted political and social unrest. The sculpture serves as a lasting tribute to the pope's life and ministry.

The details

The bronze bust, which features Pope Leo with St. Augustine carved underneath his right shoulder, is one of only three such sculptures created by Schmalz. The other two are located in the Americas - one at CTU in Chicago and another at an Augustinian formation house in Trujillo, Peru, where the pope once lived and worked. Schmalz completed the sculpture within a week of Pope Leo's election in May 2025.

  • The bust was installed at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago on February 22, 2026.
  • Pope Leo XIV graduated from CTU in 1982 with a Master in Divinity.
  • Pope Leo served in Peru for about 20 years, including a decade living with Father Lydon in Trujillo in the 1990s.

The players

Pope Leo XIV

The current pope, who is an alumnus of Catholic Theological Union, where the new bust of him was installed.

Father John Lydon

An Augustinian priest who lived and worked with Pope Leo, then known as Father Robert F. Prevost, in Peru in the 1990s.

Timothy Schmalz

A renowned Catholic sculptor who created the three existing busts of Pope Leo XIV, including the one installed at CTU.

Tom Brown

The chair of CTU's board of trustees, who commissioned the bust for the school and another for an Augustinian formation house in Peru.

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What they’re saying

“It is a bust of our present pope, and like his predecessors, we believe he is in that role by the providence of God. And knowing that God is there through it all hopefully calls us forth — as it did to that Augustinian, now pope, in the 1990s, in the face of evil, to do as Jesus did in the Gospel today, to say, 'Enough. Go.'”

— Father John Lydon, Augustinian Priest (OSV News)

“There is this spontaneous joy that's embedded within the piece. It was hard to calculate how that sculpture would come about, but it just captured at that moment, some sort of hope and joy within the expression that he holds, which I absolutely love.”

— Timothy Schmalz, Catholic Sculptor (OSV News)

What’s next

The Vatican has acquired the third sculpture of Pope Leo XIV and placed it in the apostolic nunciature in Washington, D.C. among papal portraits from throughout the ages.

The takeaway

The installation of the Pope Leo XIV bust at his alma mater, Catholic Theological Union, honors his early years as a priest serving the faithful in Peru, where he confronted political and social unrest. The sculpture serves as a lasting tribute to the pope's life and ministry, reflecting the 'hope and joy' he has brought to the Church.