Parish Grotto and Rosary Garden Repaired

Anna Casey
St. Patrick's Parish, Emerald, Queensland, Australia

29 April 2001

A few years back at my previous parish, I noticed an old grotto in
sad need of repair - in fact there were people starting to see it
as a eyesore and needing demolition.

The kids and I and another lady cleaned out the rubbish. We bought
modeling compound and made new hands for Mary's statue and new arms
for St Bernadette, repainted the statues, and planted new plants
and potplants. Eucharist lilies, prayerplants, Easter lily, sage,
etc.

       

The other lady found a bench seat, the parish priest and some men
then were inspired to lay some old bricks to make a paved area for
the seat facing the grotto, and backing this seat we put in a new
Rosary garden: One rose bush for each mystery (white, red, gold)
and around each bush ten clumps of bulbs, and around the perimeter
of the garden bed 15 perenially flowering bushes.

These were for ten Hail Mary's per decade, and 15 decades in a
rosary. Inside the grotto, we put up a laminated sign explaining
the story of Lourdes and how to pray the rosary. I was very pleased
when there was finally a Marian feast when we had a procession
singing to the grotto and an official blessing, with the Legion of
Mary ladies present and our Mothers Rosary group too.

I hear the local school teachers take the classes over there in
May, and people have gathered there to pray rosaries for the sick.

So if you know of an abandoned old grotto, it may take some effort
on your part and some money to paint etc. but it is one way to turn
things around for the better.

I was also fortunate that the school grounds had a pop-up sprinkler
installed that watered it all automatically. It was also a chance
to work on a project with my children and to tell them stories
about the Pope and the assassin's bullet, Lourdes etc.