James Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Statue, Memorial sculpture at Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Washington D.C., United States.
The James Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Statue is a bronze sculpture depicting the Cardinal seated in formal church robes, with a cross held in his left hand and his right hand raised in blessing. The figure stands on a granite and marble base reinforced with concrete, inscribed with information about the Knights of Columbus contribution.
Congress and President Calvin Coolidge authorized the memorial in 1928, with its dedication ceremony held in 1932 attended by notable figures. The creation honored Gibbons as one of the most influential Catholic leaders in American history.
The memorial displays religious symbols such as the Baltimore Archdiocese coat of arms and decorative tassels that mark Cardinal rank. These details reflect the high ecclesiastical position Gibbons held within the Catholic community.
The statue is located on the grounds of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart and is easily accessible from the outside. Visitors should arrive earlier in the day to enjoy better lighting for viewing the details of the bronze figure and inscriptions.
Artist Leo Lentelli combined four different materials in this work to meet both artistic and structural requirements. The use of reinforced concrete beneath the visible granite and marble base represents an innovative solution for ensuring the memorial's long-term stability.
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