The Grotto is made up of 15 different parts. They include: Garden of Eden or “Paradise Lost”, The Trinity Grotto, Ten Commandments, Stations of the Cross, 13th Station/Calvary, 14th Station/ Entombment of Jesus, Garden of Gethsemane, Resurrection, Grotto of Nazareth, Stable of Bethlehem, The Christmas Chapel, St Michael, the Archangel, Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, Statue of Fr. Dobberstein, and Grotto Museum/Rock Studio.
The Grotto was started and largely built by Father Paul Matthias Dobberstein. Fr. Dobberstein had an invaluable co worker, Matt Szerensce who started shortly after Fr. Dobberstein started working on the Grotto. Later Father Louis Greving moved to West Bend and the torch was eventually passed to him when Fr. Dobberstein passed away. Szerensce helped Fr. Greving until his retirement and Fr. Greving continued work on the Grotto for an additional 40+ years.
The Grotto attracts over 100,000 visitors a year. It has something for everyone. Including the faithful, art lovers and rock hounds. It truly is a work of beauty and art.
This blog author had never visited the Grotto before this past July of 2010. He was able to do so during RAGBRAI. The blog author did not visit every part of the Grotto, the Museum for example.
Chronology:
September 21, 1872 - Paul Matthias Dobberstein is born in Rosenfeld, Germany.
1892 - Paul immigrated to America. Upon coming America he entered the Seminary of St. Francis near Milwaukee to prepare for the Priesthood. It was there that he began to show signs of unusual artistic ability that was to characterize all the waking hours of his earthly existence.
As a young seminarian he became critically ill with pneumonia. As he fought for his life he prayed to the Virgin Mary to help him with the grace of health. He promised to build a shrine in her honor of he lived. He lived, the illness passed and after being ordained he moved to West Bend a couple of years later. For over a decade he was stockpiling rocks and precious stones.
June 30th, 1897 - Father Dobberstein was ordained.
1897 to 1898 - Fr. Dobberstein served as Chaplain for the Sisters of Mount Carmel hospital in Dubuque.
1898 to 1899 - The Archdiocese of Dubuque was divided and Sioux City Diocese was formed. Fr. Dobberstein was appointed the pastor of West Bend Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. He remained there for the rest of his life serving his community for 57 years as a counselor, instructor, and leader to the parishioners.
1912 - The permanence of his promise to Mary began to take shape. High school graduate Matt Szerensce signed on as a full time Grotto collaborator, which resulted in many years of intense labor.
1936 - Fr. Dobberstein's first and only account about the Grotto is is undated but appeared sometime during this year.
1946 - Father Louis Greving moved to West Bend to assume Fr. Dobberstein's clerical duties, as well as to assist with building the Grotto. New to the rigors of construction, Father Greving immediately envisioned the usefulness of an electric hoist and miraculously convinced his superior to introduce this device, which up until then all the lifting had been done by hand. Fr. Dobberstein worked with Fr. Greving and Matt Szerensce for another 8 years.
7:25 p.m. July 24, 1954 - Father Dobberstein the creator and builder of the famous Grottos at West Bend, Iowa laid down his trowel and was called home by God. After forty-two years as priest, spelunker, and grotto builder extraordinaire, Father Dobberstein passed the torch to Szerensce and Greving. Though he fully believed in the radiating spiritual power of his work, he may never have imagined the magnitude of his influence.
1959 - Matt Szerensce retired.
1996 - Father Paul Greving celebrated 50 years as a priest.
1959 to 2002 - Father Greving cared for and maintained the Grotto until his death.
2001 - The Grotto was placed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Feb. 14, 2002 - Father Louis Greving, having earned his heavenly reward, was called home to be with his God, his labor on earth complete.
During the construction almost 100 carloads of rocks and stones, the vast bulk of which had to be processed, stored, cataloged and handled many times before it found it's final and proper place in the magnificent structure. Though not specified it is believed this is almost 100 train car loads.
Grotto of the Redemption
Walking Tour
No comments:
Post a Comment