Honors Cleveland's First Bishop Amadeus Rappe
The statue of the first bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, Rt. Rev. Amadeus Rappe,
has found a new home in front of St. John Cathedral on the Superior Avenue, on the east side of the historic structure.
Unveiled in November of 1902 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cathedral which Bishop Rappe dedicated in 1852, the bronze statue had been in storage for the past few years following the razing of the Catholic Center and its courtyard where the statue had been located. It now returns to a more prominent location for public viewing.
The inscription at its base reads: Rt. Rev. Amadeus Rappe D.D., First Bishop of Cleveland, 1847 - 1870, Born Feb 2, 1801 - Died Sept 7, 1877.
The dedication ceremony in 1902 featured 10,000 people celebrating the man who served as missionary leader in Northeast Ohio. Cleveland Bishop at the time of the dedication, the Rt. Rev. Ignatius Horstmann, addressed the thousands at the dedication saying that ?Cleveland?s first Bishop was a hero. His name must stand as one of the grandest pioneers of Northern Ohio, his whole life, as man, as priest, as bishop, was full of deeds for God's glory and the spiritual welfare of his fellow men.?
Of French descent, Bishop Rappe arrived in America in 1840 and was appointed Bishop of Cleveland on September 2, 1847. He died in 1877. ?He was known as a stranger to fatigue and was truly an apostle of intemperance and never ceased his crusade against that vice until he died,? according to Bishop Horstmann.
The life-size statue was created by Cleveland sculpture Luella Varney Serrao who was
born in Cleveland, educated in Rome, and in 1887 spent the winter at Villa Angela working on sketches and a preliminary bust. She returned to Rome and completed the sculpture which was cast in bronze.
The restoration and relocation of the statue was gratefully provided by the Dr. and Mrs. Theodore J. Castele Foundation.