GRAND RAPIDS, MI (AP)-- A Grand Rapids sculpture is planned of a 19thcentury bishop known for his work in the Upper Peninsula and Western Michigan.
The Grand Rapids Press reports the seven-foot sculpture of Frederic Baraga will be dedicated July 24 outside Saint Andrew's Cathedral. The Peter F. Secchia Family Foundation commissioned it as part of a series honoring figures in area history. In 1833, Baraga established a mission in what's now Grand Rapids.
In May the Vatican declared Baraga “venerable,” meaning he's recognized for a life of heroic virtue. It's the first step in the process toward sainthood.
Baraga is known as the “Snowshoe Priest.” He spent 23 years among Native Americans and settlers and became the Marquette diocese's first bishop in 1857. Baraga died in 1868.
