''Saint Mother Théodore Guérin'' is a public

Artwork A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

artist Teresa Clark, located at the

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic minor basilica and national shrine in Washington D.C. It is the largest Catholic church building in North America and is also the tallest habitable building in Wa ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. This statue serves as a memorial to

Théodore Guérin Anne Thérèse Guérin (2 October 1798 – 14 May 1856), designated by the Vatican as Saint Theodora, was a French-American saint and the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, a congregation of Catholic sisters at ...

and was a gift from the

Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are an Consecrated life (Catholic Church), apostolic congregation of Roman Catholic Church, Catholic women founded by Saint Theodore Guerin, Theodora Guerin (known colloquially as Saint Mo ...

Description

The statue is a full body portrait of Guérin standing at 6 feet tall. It is made of Indiana limestone and shows her wearing a traditional

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

habit A habit (or wont, as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. A 1903 paper in the '' American Journal of Psychology'' defined a "habit, from the standpoint of psychology, ...

. A

rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...

hangs from her waist and she stares straight ahead. Her proper left arm is pulled to her chest holding the cross that hangs from her neck. Her proper right arm is outstretched in front of her with her hand open as if reaching out to hold someone's hand. Her proper right foot steps out in front her. The statue stands on top of a limestone base which stands on a granite base and is surrounded by flowers.

Artist

Teresa Clark moved from

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...

, to

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and Terre Haute metropolitan area, its metropolitan area had a populati ...

, in the spring of 2005 and shortly thereafter she was commissioned to create the statue of Guérin. As a non-religious person she was moved by the story of Guérin and in 2006 Clark was

baptize Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

d Catholic at the age of 50. The sculpture was carved by master stone carver Nick Fairplay from

Oberlin, Ohio Oberlin () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located about southwest of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 8,555 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Oberlin is the home of Oberlin ...

Information

Clark credits the commission as clearing problems up in her life, hence her conversion to Catholicism. Creating the sculpture from clay Clark described the process of creation in relation to Guérin: "Using your hands to create someone, an individual who was a woman of faith—one kind of feeds the other. I almost feel her presence at times when I’m working." The plans to create the sculpture had been in the works since 2004. It took Clark over a year to carve the piece, finalizing it in early 2006. After approval from the National Shrine, a fiberglass molding was produced and the sculpture was sent to Fairplay's studio. The limestone came from Victor Oolitic Stone Company in

Oolitic, Indiana Oolitic is a town in Indian Creek and Shawswick townships, Lawrence County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,184 at the 2010 census. History Oolitic was platted on March 23, 1896, by the Bedford Quarries Company. It was incorporate ...

, and was delayed in being delivered to Fairplay's studio.

Acquisition

The

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

, a gift of the

, was installed in Mary's Garden at the National Shrine, on the grounds of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and dedicated on May 10, 2008. More than 450 people attended the ceremony which included Clark. After a

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

was held at the Crypt Church at the Shrine, Archbishop Pietro Sambi blessed the sculpture. A reception was held at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. The sculpture was described as a "wonderful addition" to the garden by Walter R. Rossi.

References

External links

The creation process documented by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mother Theodore Guerin (Clark) Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C. Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C. Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods 2006 sculptures Limestone sculptures in Washington, D.C. 2006 establishments in Washington, D.C. Limestone statues in the United States Monuments and memorials to women