Right Reverend Amadeus Rappe, D.D.

Full figure portrait of Bishop Louis Amadeus Rappe, first Roman Catholic Bishop of Cleveland. He is in full solemn pontifical dress: robes, miter, and crosier. He is delivering a blessing with his right hand. The heavy robes that furl around his shoulders and drape down to his feet feel grand and decadent, but not burdensome. His face is stern but friendly. Bishop Rappe made a point of interacting with his flock as a friend and father, rather than a superior and Serrao captures this warm paternal authority well in the rendering of his face and his open body posture.

Born in Northern France and brought to the US to be the first Bishop of Cleveland, Rappe succeeded in growing his diocese and taking care of his children. What were 42 churches at the time of his consecration became 160 churches by the time he retired. He established religious orders, schools, and hospitals that all helped to cultivate the caring culture of an up and coming Cleveland. He is buried inside the cathedral his statue stands outside of.

Rappe, however, is not the only groundbreaking figure involved in this statue. Sculptor Luella Varney Serrao, Class of 1884, was the first female sculptor to graduate from the Cleveland Institute of Art.