Sometime you just have to find a quiet place to find yourself, clear your head, or calm the raging storm that is inside you. The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, MD is just that place. Here in this beautiful mountain top shrine, you can draw close to Jesus through his Blessed Mother, Mary.
The Catholic shrine is dedicated to Our Blessed Mother Mary. The gardens and shrine are breathtaking. As you stroll along the various paths, you are filled with peace. The Grotto located on the mountain was constructed in 1879 by Father John Watterson. The shrine was built two decades after the apparition of Mary at Lourdes in 1858. The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the oldest American replicas of the Lourdes Shrine in France.
It truly is a sanctuary.
Upon entering the garden, you will walk along Corpus Christi Lane and the Stations of the Cross. This path will remind you all that Jesus did for us when he was crucified and died on the Cross.
As you exit the path, you will find yourself in front of the Grotto Water and Our Lady of Esplanade.
from there, you can enter the Corpus Christi Chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is kept. Here you can kneel (or sit) spending some prayer time with Jesus.
After leaving the Chapel, you are asked to keep quiet and maintain a prayerful attitude as you head to the Grotto Cave.
At the Grotto Cave, you will see a replica of the Lourdes Grotto. At the Grotto, you can leave prayer intentions. You can also see and touch a stone from the Lourdes Shrine in France.
The Shrine has other paths you can walk through for peace and solitude. You can walk paths that have mosaics representing the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary.
You can pray the Rosary as they walk along.
You will also be able to walk through paths with various statues of Mary, Jesus, and the Saints.The Nativity Statue, a Pro-Life Memorial, of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus is absolutely amazing. The tiny details on Baby Jesus make Him so life like. You just want to pick Him up and cuddle him close to your heart.
The Grotto is opened daily from 9-4:30. You can attend Mass Thursday through Monday at 12:00 p.m. Confession is offered on Thursdays. Even if you are not Catholic, this beautiful garden can bring peace to all that enter its sanctuary.
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