- April 12, 2021
By Jean Ducker, volunteer of the Office of Liturgy
The Holy Family Chapel was constructed from 1897 to 1899 and contains many fascinating pieces that add to its beauty, each having its own bit of history.
Joseph Sibbel designed and sculpted the Stations of the Cross featured along the balcony railing in Holy Family Chapel. He was born in Germany on June 7, 1850. As a child, he began his interest in sculpting by cutting ornaments and figures from wood. His obvious talent was noticed, and he was sent to Munster, Westphalia, to train in ecclesiastical sculpture. He moved from wood to the art of modeling in clay.
In 1873, he emigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio. After a not-so-successful career in the Midwest, Sibbel went to New York, where he established the studio from which he issued his many works. His best-known work is the delicately wrought statue of St. Patrick in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York.
Reverend Mother Agatha Guthrie selected Sibbel because of his stated aim to emulate foreign ecclesiastical decoration, unlike many artists of the time who were creating stereotyped and monotonous decoration.
In his letters sent to Mother Agatha, we see that each of the 14 stations were to be 2 feet, 6 inches in diameter to fit into the balcony railing. Reverend Mother worked closely with the sculptor of these beautiful and outstanding alabaster plaster of Paris images.
As each was designed, the sculptor would send the Reverend Mother a photo of the station for her approval. He worked to make the designs in relief stand out from the background as much as possible.
In his letters, Sibbel often apologized for being slow. This could be understood considering the work he promised. He was also commissioned to make the sculptures of the apostles located around the chapel under the balcony and the sculpture of the dead Christ located in the side chapel. He explained that his worker was ill and he was also working on two sculptures for the College Church of St. Louis University at the same time.
On March 14, 1900, Sibbel presented Reverend Mother with a bill for $1,300 ($40,274 in today’s money).
Sibbel died a few years later in New York on July 10, 1907.