Bradenton in Manatee County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Holy Eucharist Monument and Memorial Cross

De Soto National Memorial

Holy Eucharist Monument Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

1. Holy Eucharist Monument Marker

Inscription. The Hernando de Soto Catholic Memorial, also known as the 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 nine-foot bronze statue of Hernando de Soto, no longer here, was cast and sculpted by Enrique Perez Comendador and 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.

(captions)
The statue and monument (left) were first exhibited at the Royal Academy of Fine 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 (right) was removed from this site and now stands at the South Florida Museum and Bishop Planetarium in downtown Bradenton, Florida.

Erected by National Park Service,

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U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Exploration. A significant historical year for this entry is 1539.

Location. 27° 31.286′ N, 82° 38.565′ W. Marker is in Bradenton, Florida, in Manatee County. Marker can be reached from Desoto Memorial Highway (75th Street NW), 0.2 miles north of 24th Avenue NW. Marker and subject monument are located within the DeSoto National Memorial Park, on the DeSoto Expedition Trail, along the beach overlooking the Manatee River, about 4/10 mile from the Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8300 Desoto Memorial Highway, Bradenton FL 34209, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Shaw's Point Archeological District (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hernando de Soto (approx. 0.2 miles away); La Florida's Early Peoples (approx. 0.2 miles away); DeSoto Trail (approx. 0.2 miles away); Camp Uzita (approx. 0.2 miles away); De Soto Trail Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Spanish Crown (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Landing (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bradenton.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. De Soto National Memorial

Also see . . .
1. Holy Eucharist Monument

Holy Eucharist Monument Marker (<i>wide view; monument at left; Manatee River in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

2. Holy Eucharist Monument Marker (wide view; monument at left; Manatee River in background)

. The Holy Eucharist Monument dates to the early 1960s when it was first shown at the 1965 World’s Fair in New York. For the next two years it was displayed at the Manatee County Fair before finding a permanent home at what is now Riverview Point, but in the 1960s was land owned by the Dioceses of St. Augustine and later by the Catholic Diocese of Venice. The memorial originally included a nine-foot tall bronze statue of De Soto, but it was removed in the 1970s due to vandalism. It is now at the South Florida Museum and Bishop Planetarium in downtown Bradenton. (Submitted on October 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. The Memorial Cross. Also owned by the Catholic Diocese of Venice, the Memorial Cross was erected in 1995 to honor all priests of Florida, but particularly the twelve original priests and friars who sailed with De Soto and accompanied him on his expedition. (Submitted on October 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Holy Eucharist Monument (<i>statue stood in front of this obelisk before transfer to museum</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

3. Holy Eucharist Monument (statue stood in front of this obelisk before transfer to museum)

Holy Eucharist Monument (<i>tall view from beach; marker visit left of monument</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

4. Holy Eucharist Monument (tall view from beach; marker visit left of monument)

Holy Eucharist Monument (<i>wide view from beach</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

5. Holy Eucharist Monument (wide view from beach)

Memorial Cross (<i>located 50 yards south of marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

6. Memorial Cross (located 50 yards south of marker)

Memorial Cross Dedication (<i>located at base of the cross</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

7. Memorial Cross Dedication (located at base of the cross)

In Memory of
the twelve priests who
accompanied the 1539 Spanish
Expedition and of the Native
Americans who inhabited
these shores
Most Reverend John J. Nevins
Bishop
Diocese of Venice in Florida
Anno Domini MCMXCVI

Memorial Cross (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

8. Memorial Cross (wide view)

DeSoto National Memorial Sign (<i>on beach near marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012

9. DeSoto National Memorial Sign (on beach near marker)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2018. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 649 times since then and 79 times this year. Last updated on November 2, 2018, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6, 7, 8. submitted on October 30, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 9. submitted on October 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.