Mother Mary's Grotto at Granny's: the Grotto Mother Mary built

Mother Mary's Grotto at Granny's: the Grotto Mother Mary built

I had set up an edge, around our vegetable garden using only stones found around the house. For over a year, I wanted to replace the edge with other type of material and use the stones to build a grotto.

The thought of working with cement seemed too messy and too much work, so I procrastinated as much as possible.

Then I 'heard' a voice say:  "You have concrete adhesive, why not get it started with it?" - so I did.

Without  any measurements, I started gluing the foundation and the back. The height felt about right, so I used   piece of wire from a discarded dish drying rack to start the back ceiling.

Then I run out of stones to use as compression for the ceiling on the left side of the Grotto. So I used a couple of small wooden panels previously used to frame a cross, now being used in the Serenity Pergola.

Mother Mary's Grotto at Granny's at Night

To shape the entrance, I used a coat hanger - seemed too flimsy.

Desperate to finish, I started to  the left side of the roof with whatever stones I had left - the roof caved in.  I was able to use an old wooden panel to hold it together.

All of the stones in the previous edge were used in the Grotto.

Then the thought of a cross came about - but how to do it? Serendipitously a hole in the roof of Grotto was left so the cross would fit perfectly.

Mother Mary chose her own statue. Looking online,  most were 30 inches in hight.  Finally found one in the Catholic store that seemed to be the right height and the right price.  My wife seemed to like it, so we ordered it. The next day, checking online, there were all kinds of options, similar to the one we order. Can't explain why these options were not visible the day prior.

The all-weather kneelers were easier to build and the night lights in the Grotto are inspiring.  All in all, a worthwhile project.

Serenity Pergola 

Mother Mary's Grotto at Granny's is now next to Saint Fracis of Assisi Sanctuary and the Serenity Grotto.

Saint Francis Sanctuary 

A trained engineer would not have undertaken this project under these conditions.  Why this Grotto is one Mother Mary built. Perhaps not a miracle, but certainly a mystical experience.

We are blessed we were able to consecrate the Grotto with our grandchildren.

Related

On Sunday 1 September, the eve of his 45th Apostolic Journey abroad, Pope Francis visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome to pray before the icon of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani. He entrusted to her his upcoming apostolic journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.