A bronze, life-size statue of Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart, S.P., was commissioned by the Mother Joseph Foundation as a gift from the State of Washington to the United States Congress to honor Mother Joseph as Washington State's second representative in the National Statuary Hall, Washington, D.C. A renowned artist, Felix de Weldon, was the author of the work. The statue was dedicated on May 1, 1980, with great fanfare amid the Sisters of Providence, and religious, national, state and international dignitaries. It currently stands by the Information Desk in the new U.S. Capitol Visitors Center. De Weldon depicted Mother Joseph kneeling because she could not have accomplished what she did without prayer. The inscription on the base reads, "She made monumental contributions to health care, education, and social work throughout the Northwest." The tools at the base of the statue are her bookbinding tools. The tools, her personal papers and artefacts are preserved in the Providence Archives, Seattle, Wash. Her birthdate, April 16, is recognized as Mother Joseph Day in Washington state.
To visit: Capitol Visitor Center, United States Capitol, 441 4th St NW, Washington, DC 20001, United States, t. (202) 226-8000, w. - visitthecapitol.gov
