Yesterday we visited the Bishop Baraga Shrine in nearby Baraga with our good friends from Missouri after a great lunch at Baraga Lakeside Inn, but even a better view.
The Shrine of the Snowshoe Priest is very scenic.
Frederic Baraga came from Slovenia and was a Missionary Priest and First Bishop of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
When he first arrived he had to use an interpreter but he soon mastered the languages so in 1832 his first Indian Prayer Book was published. Snowshoes permitted Father Baraga to travel despite heavy snowfall. He was known to travel 700 miles during a winter. Here is a closeup of the snowshoes on the statue, which are 26 feet long.
In 1853 Father Baraga became the first Bishop on the Upper Peninsula. In 1974 private funding was raised for this statue which rises 6 stories above the Red Rocks Bluff commanding a breathtaking view of Keweenaw Bay. He is holding a cross that is 7 feet long and the aforementioned snowshoes. The hand-wrought brass statue weighs four tons and floats on a cloud of stainless steel supported by five laminated wooden beams which represents the five major missions he established.
The view at the top of Red Rocks Bluffs is gorgeous.
Walking around the shrine and learning more about the 'Snowshoe Priest' was inspirational.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
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