In 1957, Austrian Beth Richard was commissioned by the Friars of St. Francis church in New York City, to make a life size bronze St. Francis statue while her husband was the Austrian ambassador to the United Nations.  The statue she created showed St. Francis kneeling before the crucified Jesus symbolizing St. Francis' deep faith, prayer, trust, and simplicity.  The statue of St. Francis which is located outside of the Doyle Hall is a reproduction of that statue; it was produced by Alva Museum Replicas and was made from the artist's own exact scale model of the original statue.