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Ceremonial Artifacts ➔ Baldacchino Or Street Shrine From Our Lady Of Sorrows Church
Identifier:
2005.11.1Description:
This shrine demonstrates the transplantation of a tradition by immigrants, from their hometown of Montelepre, Siciliy, to their new home of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The shrine and parade tradition are undeniably similar, although the actual decoration of the Shrine was influenced by the availability of Colonial Revival paint colors and materials where the shrine was built in Grand Rapids. It was once a major symbol and unifying event for the Italian community in Grand Rapids.Originally commissioned by "La Colonia di Montelepre" (the immigrant population in Grand Rapids from the town of Montelepre, Sicily, Italy) and donated to the congregation of Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, the shrine was used for annual parade processions and festival days in the neighborhood known as Little Italy from 1922 until the early 1970s. It is reported that each year one ill child was allowed to ride on the shrine during the parade.
It is an elaborate wooden architectural and sculptural religious shrine, designed to be carried through the streets. The shrine is topped by a domed lattice canopy, with a large ornamental finial and cross on top. The canopy rests on four fluted columns with acanthus capitals. Columns rest on wooden base structure, which contains holes for the poles which are used by forty men to carry the shrine. Atop the base and underneath the center of the canopy is a molded platform that supports four short obelisks with globe lights, and a cross with a carved and painted sculpture of the crucufied corpus of Jesus Christ. The shrine is painted cream or ivory white with gold on molded and carved accents, while the corpus is naturally painted. The shrine is wired for lighting with four globe lights at the corners around the crucifix, and with old Christmas lights on the cross and canopy. .Along with the shrine there are also two 16-foot long poles with padding that are inserted under the shrine base to carry it. An additional pole is used to raise electrical wires along the parade route, to allow the shrine to pass underneath.
Painted on the base is "La Colonia di Montelepre May 1922 Giuseppe Leonardo Fecit Grand Rapids, Mich."
