St. Anne’s Church seeking funds for bronze statue designed by Rowland Cheney
St. Anne’s Catholic Church has been a presence in Lodi since 1904, and it recently expanded to include a Community Plaza, dedicated on March 11, 2016. But the newest feature of the church remains incomplete.
While the plaza features many works of art, including tile depictions of the Stations of the Cross, a fountain and 90,000 bricks meticulously placed by hand to create the walkway, one piece remains missing: An 8-foot bronze statue of St. Anne, the mother of Mary, who in turn gave birth to Jesus.
“There’s more to St. Anne’s statue than meets the eye. This was a main thoroughfare up until a year ago. Father Brandon Ware started the process eight years ago, talking to the city manager about closing the street, it was a major process,” said Annette Murdaca, who led the fundraising committee for the plaza.
The plaza’s plans originally included an 8-foot statue of St. Anne created by Rowland Cheney.
Cheney was best known for his public artwork. He sculpted the bronze statue of cranes at the train station, the farming couple holding grapes and a glass of wine aloft near the Chamber of Commerce on School Street, and the statue of the Mickes at Micke Grove Zoo.
Cheney created a small clay model of the St. Anne statue, depicting St. Anne sitting on a rock and studying the Torah, but he was unable to construct the actual statue as he died in a plane crash in Alaska in June 2015.
The statue will cost approximately $130,000 to build, and the church has currently raised $20,000. Once the 18inch clay sculpture has been bronzed, the church will display it, hoping to inspire Lodi citizens to donate to the cause.
Once built, the stature will stand between the main church and the parish office, across from the fountain that Ware called the most popular destination for prom and graduation photos.