The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. . 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 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 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 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 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.