Notre Dame in St. Joseph County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 27, 2024

1. The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes Marker

Inscription. Welcome to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a beloved place for quiet prayer and reflection ever since its construction in 1896. Your prayers join those of faithful generations of Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors. This grotto is a replica, one-seventh the size, of the Grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes, France. There, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 18 times, from February 11 to July 16, 1858, to a 14-year-old girl named Bernadette Soubirous. Mary appeared to Bernadette to tell her that God loves us and calls us to personal conversion and prayer. During these visits, Mary asked that a chapel be built near where the appearances occurred. The Church declared

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Bernadette's claims worthy of belief, and devotion grew to Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes.

In 1841, the religious community of the Congregation of Holy Cross sent Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., and six Brothers from Le Mans, France, to the mission territory of Indiana, eventually to establish, in 1842, the University of Notre Dame. Father Sorin, attracted by the extraordinary events at Lourdes, made the arduous journey from here at Notre Dame back to his native France several times and visited the shrine. Today the original Grotto of Lourdes remains one of the most frequented of all Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world.

Fr. Sorin, who died in 1893, never saw this present grotto built in honor of Our

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 27, 2024

2. The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes

The marker is in the bottom left of the photo, facing the Grotto.

Lady of Lourdes. Another Holy Cross priest, Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., moved by Fr. Sorin's devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, worked to finance and build the Grotto with benefaction from a friend and Notre Dame alumnus, Rev. Thomas Carroll. It took only three months to build this Grotto out of huge Indiana fieldstone boulders. The priests and brothers of Holy Cross at Notre Dame still care for this Grotto today. Among the boulders you will notice a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, placed in an elevated niche, as at Lourdes. At ground level, kneeling and praying the Rosary, is Bernadette Soubirous, herself canonized in 1933. The land which stretches out from the Grotto toward the lakes originally

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 27, 2024

3. The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes Marker

The photo is taken with the Grotto itself to the rear.

sloped from the back of the Basilica down to the water. When fire destroyed the first Main Building in 1879, the burnt remains were deposited here. During the construction of the Grotto, that same charred rubbish, spread out and covered by soil, became the welcoming plaza which still invites visitors to attend to the holy presence of God.

The "votive" or prayer candles of this Grotto stand out to all visitors as one of its most iconic features. A burning candle symbolizes the lasting blessing of presenting our hearts' thanksgiving, pleas, joys, and even suffering before our merciful and loving God. The tiny yet persistent flames you see burning here day and night testify to the faith of countless

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 27, 2024

4. The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes

believers. Please consider lighting a candle as you offer your own prayer in our cherished Grotto. May you experience healing and strength for yourself and for others, especially through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes: Notre Dame, our Mother.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location. 41° 42.183′ N, 86° 14.437′ W. Marker is in Notre Dame, Indiana, in St. Joseph County. It can be reached from Holy Cross Drive east of St. Mary's Road, on the right when traveling north. The marker is a short walk from the Grotto on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Touch for map.

Evening view of the Grotto image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, November 14, 2017

5. Evening view of the Grotto

In this evening view from 2017, the kneeling Bernadette Soubirous to the left prays to the Virgin Mary, whose statue has a light shined on it in a niche in the upper right.

Marker is in this post office area: Notre Dame IN 46556, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana

and in Greater South Bend.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Thomas A. Dooley, M.D. '48 (a few steps from this marker); Chaplain Corby of Gettysburg (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); World War I Memorial

Paid Advertisement

(about 300 feet away); St. Mary's Island (about 500 feet away); From a Letter of The Rev. Edward Sorin, CSC (about 600 feet away); Old College (about 600 feet away); Edward Sorin (approx. 0.2 miles away); Notre Dame Fieldhouse (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Notre Dame.

Also see . . .
1. Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. From the Notre Dame website (Submitted on July 29, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Spiritual Roots of Notre Dame’s Grotto. A look at the history and spiritual meaning of the Grotto on Notre Dame's campus. (Submitted on July 29, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 507 times since then and 104 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 29, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.