Statue of Mary, baby Jesus installed in downtown KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A statue of Mother Mary and baby Jesus was installed Wednesday morning at one of the most traveled street corners in downtown Kansas City.

The two bronze religious figures are over 8 feet tall and weigh 2,750 pounds. It now sits at the corner of Broadway and 12th Street on a polished black Zimbabwe granite pillar, marking the final installation of the upgraded Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

In June, the Cathedral opened its latest building, the $15 million Bishop Hogan Center at Broadway and 11th Street, as a way of ushering in a new era of "spiritual and civic life."

According to Bishop James Johnston, the statue is a significant image for those visiting or traveling into Kansas City because, "Mary’s love for her child, Jesus, is extended to all Christians, and indeed for every person." 

He continued, "This depiction of her holding him as an infant evokes her tenderness and compassion, feminine strength and gentleness, with which we all desire to be surrounded when we are vulnerable.”

The statue was designed and fabricated by Brian Baker of Baker Liturgical Art, and the artist is Mauro Bertozzi from Northern Tuscany, Italy.