Mother Joseph sculpture in Riverfront Park damaged by snowplow

Part of a brick wall near a statue of Mother Joseph, the leader of the Sisters of Providence in the late 1800s, has been toppled.

The statue and wall, located on the south bank of the Spokane River in Riverfront Park, are in the approximate location where Sacred Heart Hospital was founded in 1886.

Spokane Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Fianna Dickson said the wall was damaged by a Spokane Public Facilities District snowplow and the agency is working with the artist to repair the installation.

Dickson said she’s not sure when the damage occurred.

The piece was created by Ken Spiering in 1986. It was blessed and rededicated in 2011 to mark the 125th anniversary of the hospital.