Shrine of The Snowshoe Priest - Bishop Frederic Baraga

Have you ever driven by local sites and monuments, in your area, time and time again and never stopped your busy life to visit it?  We have many times!

The many times we've driven to Marquette, we've passed the Bishop Baraga outdoor monument site and have always been in too much of a hurry to stop by.  Well, before Marti headed home, we decided we'd act retired for the day and visit this local monument - WOW is it impressive! The statue is 35 feet tall and weighs 4 tons...and it floats above your head on a cloud!  It is wrought brass, has snowshoes that are 26 feet tall, and he holds a 7 ft cross.  Bishop Baraga, born in 1797,  built five major missions during the 1840s in the Keweenaw, mostly working with the Indian population. 

Fr. Frederic Baraga - The Snowshoe Jesuit Priest

Historical board for the site

We have to go into the Ojibwa Reservation to get to the site

Typical of the Catholic Faith - you can light a candle for a cause or someone

 This statue is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the view from the bluff edge from in front of the statue - it was a very windy day.

Don't be like us - take the time to visit your local historical sites...don't wait until someone visits you to take the time off to learn about your area!