The Eight-Hour Miracle: Bucks County Man Paints Official Papal Portrait

When Bucks County pop artist Perry Milou had what he described as a “divine artistic intervention” in February, he had no choice but to go with it.

Eight hours later, a portrait of Pope Francis was created with oil paint on a 40x30 canvas.

“This is the purest and most spiritual piece I ever did,” Milou says, looking at the vibrant painting the way a mother looks at her smiling infant. It is a late August afternoon at his studio in Ewing, N.J.

He did not know at the time he created the painting that it would be seen by millions—including the Pope himself.

He did not know he would take it before the World Meeting of Families and they would swiftly select it as the official portrait of Pope Francis during the pontiff’s visit to Philadelphia next month.

Milou never set out on a quest for global attention when he put his brush to a canvas one winter day last year. Since then, though, everyone wants to know his story.

His story that was shaped by a serious health scare more than a decade ago.

His story that he says started 95 years ago in the same city that the Pope is visiting Sept. 26 and 27.

Signs of Angels and Saints

Perry Milou’s studio is inside a ranch house on a middle-class residential street neatly lined with other ranch houses. His grandmother-in-law lives there, he explains. He recently relocated to Bucks County from Philadelphia, and this is where he paints.

He comes to the door, his body language as relaxed as the jeans and t-shirt he’s wearing. He has a Sharpee marker tucked in his collar. He makes small talk, but manages to be genuine all at once.

When all is said and done, Milou will be remembered for his artwork. And also his hair. Thick, curly and dark. He tames it as he talks.

He likes to talk.

“My grandfather, Frances DeFrancesco, was born in 1920 in South Philadelphia,” he begins.

The story continues.

Twenty years later, his mother, Angel, was born. On Oct. 3, 1967—St. Francis Day—Milou was born.

Forty-two years later, Milou, now 47, married the love of his life, Angela. Their daughter was born a year later. They named her Francesca. Coincidentally, her nanny’s name is Angelica.

He and his wife recently learned they are expecting a son on Sept. 27, the very day Pope Francis will hold Mass in front of more than two million people in Philadelphia.

They might name him…

Do you see where this is going?

A coincidence?

Milou stopped believing in coincidences 10 years ago, after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and survived a 10-hour-long surgery to remove it.

While the tumor was determined to be benign, it still changed his life forever. He says he feels lucky to be alive. A lot has happened to him in those 10 years. He got married and started a family. He was lucky enough to pursue his passion for art as his livelihood. That good fortune inspired him to use his talents to raise money for a variety of local and regional charities.

Then he stumbled upon the most important painting of his career.

The Painting

The walls of Milou’s studio are like a who’s who in underdogs, freedom fighters and icons known to overcome the odds and prevail.

Malala. MLK. Geronimo. Freda Kahlo. Rocky Balboa.

“I love the Rockonian mentality,” he says.

There are many more.

Pope Francis joined the ranks in February.

Milou was watching the news when he heard the Pope would be doing a public mass in Philadelphia during his visit to the United States. It dawned on him: “I better go paint the Pope,” he recalls.

The next morning he went into his studio.

“I did this in eight hours,” he says, pointing to the portrait, entitled “A Prayer for Peace.”

Normally, it takes him weeks to complete a painting. If it’s a portrait, he hems and haws; impulsively picking up the brush to adjust an eyebrow hair, or add a single stroke to soften the expression.

He did not do that to Pope Francis. “I put the brush down. I kept thinking, ‘don’t touch it’,” he says.

It came to him so fast. “I’m really convinced it came from my soul spirit.”

He believes he “caught lightning in a bottle” and that’s why he calls it a “divine artistic intervention.”

Prominently displayed in an ornate frame, the coveted portrait depicts the Pope standing to the side, blowing a kiss to the world. Oceans and continents form the background. Continents with people who all are equal.

“His message is, We’re created equal,” Milou says. That is the message of the painting. That is the message of the Pope, he believes.

Although painting it may have been a spiritual experience, it was not one rooted in a particular faith.

Milou’s mother was Roman Catholic, his father was Jewish. “I consider myself all of the religions combined, which is what spirituality is about,” he says.

For All To See

Eight hours after he started, the painting was done.

He was not aware of how many millions of people would actually see it, though. Let alone the Pope himself.

“A Prayer For Peace” was thrust into the spotlight after a friend convinced Milou to get the in front of World Meeting of Families organizers. Maybe they would like to use it during the visit, his friend suggested.

He was put into contact with one board member, who then planned to bring it before a panel of organizers.

It was March 23, 2015.

It was the day Milou was celebrating his 10th anniversary of surviving his brain surgery. He brought it in front of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and they accepted the painting on the spot to be the official portrait of the highly-anticipated World Meeting of Families event.

“A Prayer For Peace” will serve as the illustration on hundreds of banners throughout the city, plus t-shirts, tote bags, posters and more that will be sold by the World Meeting of Families.

Priceless With a Price Tag

Brain surgery is scary.

“I was very sick, and I’m very lucky,” Milou recalls. The sun floods his studio, casting an electrifying glow on his bold collection.

Could he believe that 10 years later, he’d be sitting in a studio in Central New Jersey surrounding by paintings, one that has been selected as the official work of art for the Pope’s historic visit to the United States?

Most likely not.

The escalating fame of the Papal portrait came quickly. His phone rings numerous times during the interview. His publicist calls. He checks his calendar. Interviews are scheduled.

He apologizes for the interruptions.

Back to brain surgery.

Surviving it inspired Milou to develop philanthropic artistic efforts, he says. He has used his artistic abilities to raise money for the Ronald McDonald Foundation, Chase Utley All-stars, The Cole Hamels Foundation, Philabundance, American Red Cross, Easter Seals and more.

He hopes the “Prayer For Peace” portrait will sell for $1 million.

Whatever the eventual price tag, though, Milou said he plans to donate the majority to charity. “I know in my heart that Pope Francis would want the money raised from this piece to be given back to the people,” Milou said.

Since his story went public, Milou has done countless interviews and has appeared on dozens of news programs, including NBC News, CBS News and Philadelphia Magazine.

His friends and former classmates have recently flooded his Facebook page with comments and well wishes. No one deserves it more than him, they say. They are all so proud of how far he’s come.

“Incredible news & well-deserved! Looking forward to seeing your art everywhere!,” one friend wrote.

“No one deserves this more than you. This is absolutely amazing!,” another wrote, followed by #perryproud.

Another friend posted a picture of her reading Milou’s story in a magazine at Sam’s Club. “Reading about Perry at Sam’s Club,” she shared on his wall, followed by a wink emoticon.

The widely-publicized Pope Francis portrait isn’t the only work Milou created in preparation for the Papal visit.

“The Holy Day,” which shows the Pope in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, will be displayed at Pennsylvania Convention Center as part of the “Faces of Francis” exhibit, which runs Sept. 22 to 25.

In addition to products offered by the World Meeting of Families, Milou is selling several Papal products on his own website.

And, he says, if the prized portrait doesn’t sell, that’s okay, too. “I don’t need to sell the painting. To me, it’s almost priceless.”

Pope Francis is coming to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families from Friday, Sept. 25 through Sept. 27. Click here to view Patch’s full guide to his historic visit.