The statue was cast by Joseph Coletti of Boston to honor the Waterburian who founded the Knights of Columbus. The 8-foot bronze figure stands atop a 10-foot granite block. Messages were read from Pope Pius XII and President Eisenhower to the 8,000 people attending the dedication on March 31, 1957. Cardinal Spellman's appearance meant that he was the first Cardinal to visit Waterbury since Cardinal Gibbons in 1903.