About
In Where the Rivers Meet, bronze strips represent the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. At the foot of the wall is a statue of Pierre De Smet, S.J., the great missionary of the upper Mississippi and Missouri River basins. His record of devoted and energetic service to all residents of this vast territory, which extended beyond the limits of the present Missouri Province, was meant to be a daily inspiration to the young Jesuits who had promised God to spend their lives working in the same area. Pierre Jean De Smet was born in Termonde, Belgium, on January 30, 1801. When he was 20 years of age he crossed the Atlantic with Nerinx and entered the Society of Jesus at Whitemarsh, MD. In 1838, he was given the post he so long desired, a mission among the Native Americans. From that time on, a great portion of his life would be identified with the great “Far West.” Throughout the rest of his life, he was to be a key figure in many councils between the Native Americans and the American government. (Courtesy of SLUMA)
Dimensions: 25′ x 20′ x 10′
Year Completed: 1953
Material: Bronze
Owner: Saint Louis University
