
Holy Eucharist Monument - DeSoto National Memorial
N 27° 31.295 W 082° 38.569
17R E 337753 N 3045282
Dwarfed by the nearby cross, this memorial commemorates all priests, past and present, serving in Florida.
Waymark Code: WM7B2A
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 09/29/2009
Views: 9
The Hernando de Soto Catholic Memorial, also known as Holy Eucharist Monument, and the Memorial Cross, just across the bridge from here, are owned by the Catholic Diocese of Venice, Florida. The base stone of this monument was quarried and cut in Mankato, Minnesota, and the stone carving came from Madrid, Spain. A nin-foot bronze statue of Hernando de Soto, no longer here, was cast and sculpted by Enrique Perez Comendador ald placed upon the monument.
Inscribed on the removed plaque:
Hernando de Soto, 1500-1542, Conquistador of the Faith, Explorer of Florida, Discoverer of the Mississippi River
The Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida erected the Memorial Cross here in 1995. It is dedicated to all the priests serving in Florida, beginning with the twelve priests and friars who accompanied the 1539 De Soto expedition.
The statue and monument were firstexhibited at the Royal Academy of Free Arts in Madrid, then at the New York World's Fair in 1965, followed by the Manatee County Fair in 1966 and 1967.
As a result of vandalism, the statue was removed from this site and now stands at the South florida Museum and Bishop Planetarium in Downtown Bradenton, FL
Date Created/Placed: 1967
 Height: 30 ft
 Website: [Web Link]
 Address: Not listed
 Illuminated: Not Listed

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