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New statues adorn front entrance to St. Rose Convent

Saint Clare

"Rose and Clare are home" was a sentiment expressed during the installation of the St. Rose and St. Clare statues located at the 701 Franciscan Way entrance to St. Rose Convent. The statues were installed on July 3, 2007, and a dedication celebration was held Sept. 4. Insight sat down with three of the four Beauty and Bread committee members to learn about the history behind this project.

An interview with Sisters Marlene Weisenbeck, Laurice Heybl and Joan Weisenbeck follows:

Insight: Do we know why the two niches were left empty?
Sister Joan: In a proposal from a group of sisters which was presented to the Chapel Centennial Committee it was written that the original St. Rose Convent was destroyed by fire in 1923. Rebuilding followed immediately and resulted in a larger and better building. While having similarities to the original building, this new one had a front entrance that was larger and more welcoming. Among its added features were two niches above and on either side of the front door. These niches have remained empty all these 83 years.

Insight: What was the motivation behind the addition of filling the niches now?
Sister Laurice: The leadership team, in 2005, affirmed the request to commission a statue of St. Clare and a statue of St. Rose for placement in the empty niches as one of many ways designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mary of the Angels Chapel. This action also responded to a 1992 General Assembly enactment which stated a renewed support of the fine arts.

Insight: Why Beauty and Bread as the name for this project?
Sister Marlene: In conjunction with this request, it was also decided that as FSPA creates beauty in our environment and honors the sister saints, they would contribute to organizations that feed the hungry. Both Rose and Clare were saints who gave significant witness to the blessing and giving of bread. The "bread" part of the action also celebrated the Year of the Eucharist. The Planning Committee requested (from sisters) recommendations of organizations that would benefit from donations. To date, all of the recommendations have been responded to including places such as Place of Grace, WAFER, Jim's Grocery Bag and some in far greater distance around the world.

Insight: Why Rose and Clare?
Sister Joan: It has just been in the last 25 years that we have significant knowledge on both of these women due to the translation of the documents into English. In 1989, both Sister Marlene and I began researching Rose and Clare and visited Viterbo several times. During Viterbo University's Clare Fest in 1993, we gave a presentation of St. Rose of Viterbo. The statues continue to honor Rose and Clare in a special way and recognize them as part of our Franciscan heritage.

Saint Rose

Insight: What makes the statues stand out as Rose and Clare?
Sister Marlene: David Kocka, the sculptor, gave us his own expressions of how to distinguish and connect the statues as Rose and Clare.

David Kocka (taken from e-mail communication during the sculpting of Rose and Clare): For Clare, I incorporated the sun monstrance in the more tamed inner looking image. The monstrance is similar in tone to Viterbo University's Dancing Clare, except it emerges out from her garment and hovers just below the breast area. She is standing in the orans posture, beholding, not staring. The Dancing Clare was demonstrating and exposing the eucharistic presence, this is different, she is enraptured. For the sake of its placement rather than just a hole in the sun monstrance, a piece of cast glass was added within the void in order for the light to capture and refract.

For Rose, I envisioned her not as a Poor Clare Nun but more as a third order eremitical-hence her dress is not of a nun but simple type tunic. The veil distinguishes the two images. Rose's poise is different but complementary to Clare's-she is a bit more windswept.

Both Rose and Clare, created to be gazed upon from below, are in contemplative poise. The robes are the more active energy of their inward state. Both share the same base, substantial at the bottom but gradually seeming to disappear so they both appear to hover more than stand statuesque.

Editor's Note:
Committee member Sister Marian Reiter was unable to join the interview but is recognized for her dedication to the Beauty and Bread project.

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