A sculpture dedicated to the late Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur is located on the grounds of the historic St. Landry Catholic Church. Sculpted by renowned Italian artist Franco Alessandrini out of white Carrara marble, the artistic structure pays tribute to Father Lafleur, an Army Air Corps soldier who sacrificed his life to save others while aboard the Shinyo Maru prison ship in 1944. The four-sided base of the statue depicts significant events in Father Lafleur’s 32 years of life. The monument’s artwork features basso reliefs of his time as a diocesan priest, an enthusiastic sportsman and his experience ministering to the wounded and dying while being a prisoner of war in the Philippine Islands.
Last modified: May 19, 2021
