A new and exciting project is underway here on the monastery grounds. Out of devotion to Our Lady and her gracious apparitions at Lourdes, France, to Saint Bernadette, we have begun constructing a Lourdes Grotto. It will be similar to the one in Lourdes, with a niche for a statue of Our Lady, an altar for Mass and Benediction, a spring of water, and places for the faithful to light candles.
The Brothers dug out a semicircle in the hill overlooking the valley and Mount Wachusett in the West. They then secured the cavity from caving in by stacking huge two-ton concrete blocks against the slope.
It was then turned over to professionals who will construct the interior and exterior with shotcrete, which is concrete sprayed with high velocity onto wire and reinforcing steel rods. The pictures here are part of the internal structure and will be sprayed over with a rock-like contour.
Work is progressing well. All prayers and contributions for the project are greatly appreciated. All for Jesus through Mary.
