Welcome to the Bishop Baraga Foundation, Inc
We are a Federally recognized non profit. 501c
and take care of the grounds and statue.
- Bernard Lambert had a dream-and that dream was to erect a sculpture of Bishop Baraga on the Red Rocks overlooking Keweenaw Bay! The Bishop Baraga Foundation together with Bernard and Jack Anderson and scultptor Art Chaput made that dream a reality! Rising six stories above the Red Rocks near L’Anse this historic non-denominational shrine commands a breathtaking view of Michigan’s Keweenaw Bay. Holding a cross seven feet high and snowshoes 26 feet long this hand wrought brass sculpture of Bishop Baraga is 35 feet tall and weighs four tons, It floats on a cloud of stainless steel supported by five laminated wooden beams which represent Bishop Baragas five major missions. In 1840 Pierre Crebassa furtrader -at the request of local Natives wrote to Fr. Baraga at LaPointe Wisconsin inviting him to come to the L’Anse area. Pierre explained to Fr. Baraga that a group of Chippewa Indians came to him for readings from his old French Bible. Baraga responded saying he could not leave his large congregation. Crebassa repeated his invitation every year until in early 1843 Bishop Baraga agreed to visit.
Baraga arrived at L’Anse on May 24, 1843-he had agreed to stay a few weeks and in that time he baptised 30 Indians. In the Fall he wrote to the Archbishop of Vienna, speaking promisingly of the potential for the new mission at L’Anse. He was destined to open a school, build a church and mission as well as buy almost 500 acres to put in the Natives names so they would have security and not be removed to Oklahoma.`Baraga’s snowshoe travels through many miles of primitive forests in the worst weather imaginable to save or Baptize a beloved Native are legendary. This slight frail man gave his food and clothing to any who needed it-caring more for others than himself. Baraga died on January 19, 1868. Nearly a century later in 1950 the Most Rev. Thomas L. Noa, Bishop of Marquette set up a historical commission to work with the Bishop Baraga Association-a group seeking Baraga’s canonization-to initiate beautification proceedings. Fourteen volumes of documented evidence of his saintly acts were submitted to the Vatican Congregation of Causes for Sainthood in 1972. The cause is still under review. His life is best described in “Shepherd Of The Wilderness” written by Bernard Lambert of L’Anse, Michigan. The book was the culmination of 18 years if research by this dedicated admirer of the “Snowshoe Priest”