The Grotto,
the outdoor Way of the Cross, the Scala Sancta, and the crucifix that dominates this oasis of prayer were the
initiative of Father Henri Watelle, O.M.I., pastor from 1909-1913, of what was then St. Joseph Parish.
On May 15, 1911, Jean-Baptiste Morin, a local contractor,
undertook the building of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a scaled replica of the original in France. At
the end of May, water from the miraculous spring and two stones extracted from the grotto where Mary appeared to Bernadette
Soubirous arrived in Lowell. One of the stones, taken from near the wild rose bush close to the place touched
by the Blessed Virgin’s feet, is clearly marked on the grotto.
On September 4th of the same year, the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, imported from France, was solemnly
carried from St. Joseph Church to the grounds of the Franco American Orphanage and permanently placed in the niche of the
grotto. A statue of Bernadette was placed at the base. The year 2008 also marked the
150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Grotto of Massabielle, in the city of Lourdes,
in France.
On October
21, 1912, a statue of Our Lady of Deliverance, a six foot artistic masterpiece donated by Jean-Baptiste Morin, was installed
on a pedestal at the end of the Way of the Cross.
Earlier that same month, fourteen stations of the Way of the Cross, made of terra cotta, and designed by a French artist,
were placed on the spacious grounds along the road leading to the grotto. At the same time a Scala
Sancta was built to complete this pious décor. On October 14th, a wooden cross with
a metal Christ corpus sculpted in France was lifted above the grotto. In 1950, a steel cross, work of Honora
Adonas Girard, replaced the deteriorated original.
On October 15, 2007, in anticipation of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the school, the 57-year-old
cross, along with the 95 year-old corpus, were lifted away by Corey Crane & Equipment Co. Harold Little’s
Advanced Sandblasting completed the exquisite restoration gratuitously. Mr. Kevin Roy coordinated this
project and repaired and repainted the statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Bernadette.
Today, just as in times past, many pilgrims visit this very special place to pause, reflect, and to honor Mary and the Redeemer
of the World.
