Earliest and Oldest Lourdes Grottos in the US

Newspaper and online articles have claimed that various Lourdes grottos are the oldest or the first one ever built in the US. Clearly not all of the claims can be accurate, and primary records to verify construction dating back to the 19th century cannot always be found.

For instance, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the Incarnate Word Convent in Brownsville, Texas has a historical marker that states it was constructed in 1869-70, which would make it the oldest grotto in the US (despite being moved in 1969). However, a 1950 Brownsville Herald article asserts that the grotto was built in 1888 (there was an earlier statue of the Virgin Mary placed inside the convent in 1867, which likely caused confusion). I was not able to obtain any reliable source to verify the date of construction, other than a research paper, and the convent was unable to supply me with any primary records or documents, so I do not accept that unusually early 1869-70 date (although 1888 still makes it a pretty old Lourdes grotto).

In my research using newspaper searches, I have found references to 17 Lourdes grottos, detailed following, that likely were built before 1880 in the US (although few images of those grottos have survived). A total of 33 Lourdes grottos were likely built in the US before 1890, and these are listed in the table at the bottom of this page.

St. Mary’s College, Leavenworth, Kansas (1871?, not extant)

Another possible early Lourdes grotto may have been one built on the grounds of St. Mary’s Academy (now St. Mary’s College) and Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Leavenworth, Kansas.

A history of the Sisters published in 1961, We Came North: Centenary History of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth by Sister Julia Gilmore, S.C.L. states in a timeline of the institution: “1871 – First grotto on mother house grounds erected.”

That same book also includes in the timeline: “1895 – Grotto on mother house grounds moved from south of St. Mary’s Hall to location east of chapel.” That 1895 grotto was replaced by the current grotto that still stands on campus, which was dedicated in 1918, according to Sister Gilmore’s book.

But I have not been able to verify that 1871 date with primary materials, so, like the Brownsville grotto, I cannot accept that it was built in that unusually early year of 1871 (although it remains possible). The St. Mary’s College archivist confirmed that the grotto was indeed a Lourdes grotto, and that the statue in it was later moved to the current grotto, but the college archives do not hold any images of the two earlier grottos.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1873, not extant)

The earliest grotto built in the US may have been the one constructed at the Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia Convent of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (no longer extant).

As seen in a c.1950 photo of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes from the SNDdeN Virtual Archives shown here, the entrance foyer (on which Our Lady and Bernadette are depicted in a stained glass window) led to a rocky interior space, in which the statues were placed. However, no photos of the interior seem to exist.

A 1957 journal article in the Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia states, based on journal entries and letters, that:

The grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in the garden has been a center of devotion since 1873. Ten years later it was partly rebuilt and the circumstances regarding it are recorded by Sister Superior Julia in her Journal:

August 13, 1883. – I had a remarkable dream. I thought I entered a grotto, pure white, yet a halo as of a rainbow filled it with soft light. On a pedestal stood a statue of Our Lady. I exclaimed, “Oh, how beautiful!” A voice said, “This is the Immaculate Conception.”

Sister Julia awoke, determined to say nothing about her dream of the grotto of white granite because brown stone had been purchased and white granite too costly. Sister Ann Marie came in to care for her, for Sister Superior had been very ill. “Sister Superior,” she asked, “Did you order white granite? There is a car-load at the door.”

The Jesuits, who were building the Gesù, having an over-supply, had sent the stone with the grotto in mind. The first entry in Sister Julia’s Journal for October 1883 reads: “Grotto finished. It is beautiful. Our Lady was placed in it for Rosary Sunday. We had a grand procession in the evening.”

“For a long time,” recounts the Sister who compiled the Sisters of Notre Dame in America, from the Annals, “we had a large piece of stone, with the seal attached, on which Our Lady had stood at Lourdes. The water of our fountain flowed over this stone, until one day it disappeared, some pious thief having stolen it.” In the grotto there are always lights burning for the general intentions of the Church and of the Institute, and for individuals who come to Our Lady asking favors.

Cures are recorded. The first was Adam Ratzbeck, ten years old, an epileptic. Another was a small girl into whose body a needle had penetrated, which caused great pain and which incision after incision had failed to find. Brought to the grotto, she was given a few drops of water; the needle came to the surface, and could be withdrawn without difficulty.

Gowen, Marguerite Horan, and Mary Mercedes. “Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Philadelphia 1856-1956.” Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia 68, no. 1/2 (1957): 29–45.

The West Rittenhouse Square building was sold in the 1960s and demolished in 1966-67. The statue of Our Lady disappeared, but “was later found in New Jersey and brought to the high school at Villanova.”

St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, Louisiana (1873, not extant)

The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, constructed in 1850 to replace an older church, had a Lourdes Grotto replica constructed inside the cathedral on the left side of the main altar in 1873, according to an article about its dedication:

Yesterday throughout the entire city our Catholic population celebrated with great devotion the festival known by them as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. At the St. Louis Cathedral the ceremonies were particularly imposing. His grace, the Archbishop, preached at eight o’clock and afterwards officiated pontifically at high mass. A new mass composed by Professor Curto, for this occasion was sung by the choir, under the personal leadership of the composer…. Vast crowds of the faithful visited the Cathedral during the day, gazing with awe and veneration upon the sacred statue that was to be the medium whereby this diocese should be directly consecrated to Oar Lady of Lourdes…. The benediction of the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes then took place… watched with breathless interest by the immense throng that literally packed pews, aisles, choir, vestibules and galleries. Even surrounding the Cathedral was a vast multitude that, finding admittance impossible, yet lingered and watched and worshiped. The statue is rarely beautiful. Its surroundings are, we are told, a reproduction of the scenery of the actual Grotto of Lourdes. After the dedication of the statue, the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by the “Te Deum.”

New Orleans Republican, Dec 9, 1873

The replica was created by French-born artist George Soulie (1844-1919), who had learned the art of papier-mache from his father, according to an 1895 article:

I had been in the city only a few weeks when a friend to whom made known my profession brought me to the attention of the authorities of the St. Louis cathedral, who were just then about to send to France to find a person to execute the design of the grotto of Lourdes, which they proposed to erect as a memorial altar in the ancient edifica. I knew all about Lourdes, the wonderful sweep of the “Gave,” the rugged rocks of Massabielle, and the humble character of the peasantry of which Bernadette Soubirous was such a typical representative. Moreover, I knew every turn and nook of the miraculous grotto, and felt that I could reproduce, even without design, the picturesque beauty and grandeur of the now famous spot. The cathedral authorities brought me to the notice of Archbishop Perche, then in charge of the diocese of New Orleans. The venerable prelate was exceedingly satisfied with the designs I submitted, and so instead of leaving for other parts or returning to Paris, I remained to indulge my artistic desire of fashioning this grotto, after the fac-simile of the original whose picture haunted my mind. The work spoke for itself. People who had seen the real grotto at Lourdes, and the humble child, Bernadette, were struck with the fidelity with which the work had been executed.

The Times-Picayune, Aug 11, 1895

A 1909 article about a bombing that damaged part of the cathedral mentioned that “A reproduction of the famous grotto of Lourdes forms one of the side altars; the water which trickles perpetually over the rocks is imported from the miraculous shrine of France.” (St. Landry Clarion (Opelousas), May 1, 1909) So the grotto apparently even had flowing water in it, water shipped from the healing fountains of Lourdes.

A 1937 article described a visit to the Cathedral and mentioned the Lourdes grotto replica with trickling Lourdes water (The Slater News-Rustler (Slater, Missouri), Apr 30, 1937), but a 1942 article about the history of the Cathedral stated: “On the left side of the church is the altar of the Blessed Virgin. It is said that here once was a reproduction of the famous grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, France.” (The News-Star (Monroe, Louisiana), Mar 1, 1942) This indicates that the grotto was removed, and the statue likely retained, around 1940. The papier-mache probably did not hold up for more than fifty years.

I could not find any photographs of that indoor Lourdes grotto (only the engraving shown here) and the diocese did not respond to my inquiries.

College of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, Bronx, New York (1874, extant)

Likely the oldest Lourdes grotto replica in the US that still exists is the grotto on the campus of the University of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, Bronx, New York.

A July 2, 1875 New York Daily Herald article mentioned “the grotto of Our lady of Lourdes and its fanciful lake. The grotto was built on an island in an artificial lake, reached by a bridge.” An 1892 article stated:

Passing the lodge the first thing seen is the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. This stands on a little island in the centre of a small lake, and is a reproduction of the celebrated Grotto of Lourdes in France, where Bernadotte saw visions. Within it is a statute of the Virgin, having on it in golden letters, “I am the Immaculate Conception” At the foot is a small font, with the inscription: “Go to the fountain and drink.” In 1871 when Cardinal McCloskey was in Rome, Pius IX granted unusual privileges to this grotto, and plenary indulgences are given to all who visit it and comply with the conditions.

The Herald Statesman (Yonkers, New York) Wed, Jul 20, 1892

St. Mary’s Academy, Notre Dame, Indiana (1874, not extant)

A December 1874 issue of the Notre Dame Scholastic mentioned a grotto at St. Mary’s Academy in Notre Dame, Indiana: “The lovely Madeira vine at the Grotto of Lourdes has been shorn of its fragrant blossoms.”

It was an indoor grotto; Madeira vine (Anredera Cordifolia), a succulent vine with sweet-scented white flowers popularly sold in 19th-century plant catalogs, is not hardy in Indiana, and it blooms in autumn, so the grotto must have been located indoors, near a large window to admit enough light for the plant to grow.

This is confirmed by a June 1875 Detroit Free Press article, which described how the grotto came to be built:

When the Mother Superior, Sister Angela, was in France last year she visited the Grotto of Lourdes where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a little peasant girl, and which the pilgrimages to Lourdes have made so famous in recent times. While there she was so impressed with the picturesqueness of the grotto as well as with the sacredness of the place that she wrote a minute sketch of it and on her return to St. Mary’s had constructed in one end of one of the broad halls a fac simile of it. It is made of paper, stained to represent the rocks, and it is rather a curious and interesting piece of work. It is observed by many of the devout Catholics as a shrine.

Detroit Free Press June 6, 1875

An 1877 article in the Notre Dame Scholastic had a more detailed description of the indoor Lourdes grotto:

As we left the Chapel the Sister said: ” “We have another shrine, the perfect fac simile of Lourdes. It stands between the Convent and the Academy”…. Our Mother Superior had ample opportunity to examine every part of the world-famed shrine, and ours is correct in every detail, not a crevice even missing. She had the good fortune also to meet at Paris the artist who had made the statue of the Blessed Virgin, which is according to the description given by Bernadette, and now marks the exact spot where the apparitions took place. She immediately ordered one exactly the same size as the one at Lourdes, and a life-like statue of Bernadette, to place in the facsimile she intended to erect, which is just one half the size of the original.

We had now ascended to a long corridor, which runs the whole length of the edifice, 250 feet in length, and opposite to the grand staircase, in a large alcove fronting, is the Grotto, to all appearance like a rock. From the descriptions I had read, I should have recognized it even if I had not been told what to expect. The entrance is in the shape of a crooked arch; the rock sloping back from the entrance becomes narrower on either side; above, to the right is a niche-like orifice; a wild rose springing from a fissure in the rock at its base; tangled brambles extending their roots into the crevices of the rocks. In the niche is the statue spoken of above. The long white robe falling in folds suffer her feet to appear, reposing on the rock; on each of them is a rose of bright golden hue; a girdle of blue, knotted in front, reaching almost to the feet, and a veil descending as far as the hem of her garment. A chaplet of white beads hang from her hands. Above her head is inscribed in golden letters: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” (This was the answer given by the Apparition to Bernadette when she asked her name.) Kneeling at the base of the rock is a life-size statue of Bernadette in peasant costume; a dark worn dress, and white capulet which covers her head and falls behind; a kind of kerchief covers her shoulders, sabots on her feet. She looks towards the Virgin, her whole countenance expressive… of the majesty of innocence. In one hand she holds her beads, in the other is usually placed a lighted candle, during novenas which are often asked by devout clients of our Lady, and a lamp is kept burning before the statue for special intentions. An altar is inside the arched Grotto, to represent the one at Lourdes. To the right of the altar, and nearer to the front, is a small receptacle to represent the fountain from which the miraculous water flows. A small iron railing is placed along the whole; on the outside is a stone ledge where all who pass kneel for an instant.

Notre Dame Scholastic, October 13, 1877

The grotto was again mentioned in an 1878 Scholastic article, which confirms that the grotto was located indoors:

Miss Mary Regina Jamison, of Wheeling, West Va., who paid Notre Dame and St. Mary’s a visit during vacation, says that the fac-simile of the Grotto of Lourdes at St, Mary’s Academy comes nearer the original than any that she has seen either in this country or in Europe. Miss Jamison resided for some time at Lourdes, during a tour…:

“Although an indoor arrangement, the grotto is the first correct reproduction of the real Grotto of Lourdes that I have seen in America. Many churches and religious houses have so-called grottoes, but they are only handsome oratories, entirely unlike the rocky spot where our Immaculate Mother appeared to Bernadette. The inaccurate pictures sent to this country must, bear the blame of these mistakes; it is difficult to understand why such pictures should be scattered broadcast through the world, when correct copies of the place could as easily be had…. At an early date the Mother Superior intends having a grotto in the Academy grounds at a spot on the river bank closely resembling the natural situation of the Grotto at Lourdes. No doubt many devout persons who find it impossible to cross the ocean will then gladly make a pilgrimage to St. Mary’s Grotto…”

Notre Dame Scholastic, August 22, 1878

Sadly, no photos or drawings of this Lourdes grotto can be found. And the grotto was removed in 1879, leaving only the statues in an alcove in the same building:

The Grotto of Lourdes has been replaced by a simple curtained alcove. The beautiful statue of Our Lady of Lourdes stands on an ornamented pillar, and the window back of the statue is shaded by purple hangings. The statue of Bernadette has been painted anew.

Notre Dame Scholastic, September 20, 1879

Dorothy V. Corson’s deeply researched book about the famous grotto on the Notre Dame University campus, A Cave of Candles, states that “Only the Lourdes statues remain in a small alcove on the same floor” of what was named Lourdes Hall, according to the “Notre Dame Chronological Chart” included in the book.

Church of St. Mary, Carrollton, New Orleans, Louisiana (1874, not extant)

An 1874 article stated that a new Lourdes grotto was to be dedicated:

A Mission Service is now being preached at Carrollton in the Church of St. Mary, by the Rev. Fathers Leneuf and P. F. Delaney, of the Order of the Fathers of Mercy,” Brooklvn, N.Y…. Since he commenced preaching the word of God in St. Mary’s Church at Carrollton, the edifice has been crowded with persons eager to hear him, and we earnestly urge those who have not listened to his sermons not to fail to do so…. On the 26th inst., in the same church, will take place the inauguration of “Our Lady of Lourdes.” A grotto of of rock, designed in beautiful style, has been constructed for the ceremony.

The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), Apr 7, 1874

Another article published a few months later had a longer description of the grotto and its construction:

St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Carrollton. The congregation of this church have every reason to be proud of the energy and zeal of their much loved pastor, Rev. Réné Vallée…. The great feature of St. Mary’s Church is the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. The grotto is of granite, and is the work of Father Vallee’s own hands. The statue, an exquisite piece of art, is after a model of Father Vallee’s, and was made by the well known artist, Raffel, of Paris. Our Lady stands in a niche; natural mosses, ferns and lichens spring from under her feet. To the left, in the picturesque costume of a French peasant, kneels Bernadette, with eyes uplifted to the apparition of the Immaculate Conception. The statues are life-size, of a composition known as statuary paste, and are the first of the kind ever made. We do not hesitate to say that the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, in St. Mary’s Church, surpasses anything of the kind in America.

The Times-Picayune, Mar 29, 1875

St. Mary’s church, which had been built in 1848 and variously called St. Mary of the Nativity, Nativity, or “French Church,” was torn down in 1889.

Church of St. Francis de Sales, Brooklyn, New York (1875, not extant)

When the Church of St. Francis de Sales was dedicated in 1875, a Lourdes grotto in its interior was still under construction, according to this article about its dedication:

Yesterday morning Bishop Loughlin dedicated the Church of St. Francis de Sales, at No. 1,576 Broadway, near East New York. The Church of St. Francis de Sales is under the charge of the Fathers of Mercy. Some four years ago Father Leneut to this country from France and purchased the property on which the church and college now stand. It runs up Broadway to Hall street 200 feet and extends 350 feet from Broadway…. on the epistle side, is a representation of the grotto of Lourdes but this has not yet been opened, in fact it is hardly completed.

Brooklyn Eagle, Nov 8, 1875

An article was published 17 years later about the the history of St. Francis de Sales Church and its need for a larger church to accommodate the growing number of parishioners, which had a description of the grotto and its origins:

What makes the church absolutely unique in this country is its Grotto of Lourdes, which stands to the right of the main altar and is by far the most prominent and interesting feature of the church. This grotto is unlike anything to be seen in other Catholic churches…. It is a perfect imitation of the famous grotto of “Our Lady of Lourdes” in France… built in an alcove a few feet back from the altar rail. The base is formed of large, unhewn stones, taken from the surrounding hills. Small stones are used at the top. A painted figure of the Virgin, molded in exquisite taste, is placed among the rocks.

Tho grotto is faithful to the original in size and surroundings. The most interesting thing is that the grotto is the work of a priest of the Fathers of Mercy, long since dead, a but still remembered by those who kneel daily at the Virgin’s shrine. This priest, whose name is only known by a few of the present parishioners of St. Francis, was born near the “miraculous” grotto in France… the idea occurred to him that it would not be amiss to mako a copy of it for St. Francis parish… and he set to work single handed to build another Lourdes.

For several weeks, unaided by any one, he applied himself indefatigably to his work. When it was finished every one who saw it was astonished and pleased. Those who had seen the original pronounced the copy perfect. What pleased the builder most was the devotion that immediately began to cluster around it. A society of young girls called the children of Mary, made the grotto its place of gathering, and hardly a day parsed without fresh flowers being placed at feet of the Madonna. It is something like twenty years since the devout architect laid the first stone of the grotto, and it is as solid to-day as the day it was finished. Nothing can be more delightful than the contrast between the rigid beauties of the grotto and the other quiet graces of the church. It is this contrast which most forcibly impresses the visitor and makes the chief attraction of the interior.

What will be done with the grotto when the new church is built? This is the question that suggests itself to nine out of ten of the parishioners. Everybody knows that it will be only a short time when the old church will have to be replaced by a larger building. Father Porcile has already begun a fund for a now church and within two years at least he thinks it will be built. Perhaps in reverence for its builder and its religious associations grotto will be translated to the new church where no doubt it will have the place of honor.

Brooklyn Eagle, Aug 7, 1892

No photos of that original grotto could be found, only the line engraving shown here. Father Porcile did indeed build a much larger church on the same property at Broadway & Aberdeen Streets: Our Lady of Lourdes Church, which had a large Lourdes grotto and painting of the scenery at Lourdes behind the main altar until the church’s destruction by fire in 1974.

St. Joseph Church / Cathedral, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (1875, not extant)

A New Orleans newspaper published this 1875 article about the dedication of what might have been a Lourdes grotto inside St. Joseph Church in Baton Rouge (now St. Joseph Cathedral):

Two years ago, when our pastor, Very Rev. C. Delacroix, returned from Europe, he brought with him two statues, one of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the other of Our Lady of Lourdes. The altar of the Sacred Heart was erected Jane 14th of last year… Within the sanctuary were some twelve priests, among others the Visitor General of the Marist Fathers, Very Rev. Father Leterrier. As the Very Rev. C. Delacroix unveiled the statue and proceeded to consecrate the altar, which represents the grotto, with the basilica of Lourdes in the distance, the sun capped Pyrenees forming a far-off background to the whole, all were forced to acknowledge that well indeed has the Catholic Church taught her children to honor the Mother given them upon Mount Calvary.

The Morning Star and Catholic Messenger (New Orleans), Jun 6, 1875

That account seems to be confirmed by the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for St. Joseph Cathedral, which includes in its list of alterations for the Cathedral:

The addition of a semi-circular sanctuary and a grotto in 1866.

The removal of the grotto, erection of new transepts and sacristies, and total remodeling of the sanctuary and nave between 1921 and 1924

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form – St. Joseph Cathedral (1990)

No photos or drawings of that grotto can be found online, but recent photos of the interior of the Cathedral (which was greatly modernized in a midcentury style during the 1960s) show that a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes still occupies a spot on the left side of the main altar.

St. Mary’s Church, Memphis, Tennessee (1875, extant)

St. Mary’s Church in Memphis was constructed between 1864 and 1870, and in 1875 a chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes was added. The Memphis Daily Appeal of Dec 5, 1875 had this announcement:

The Chapel of our Lady of Lourdes, attached to St. Mary’s, corner of Market and Third streets, will be consecrated by Right Rev. Bishop Feehan on next Wednesday morning, eighth inst, services to commence at ten o’clock. The bishop will be assisted by the Catholic clergy of the city. The music for the occasion will be rendered by our best singers.

And the same paper had more detailed description of the Lourdes grotto a few weeks later:

But the most beautiful, the most imposing feature of St. Mary’s yet remains “the chapel of our Lady of Lourdes.” It is not our purpose here to enter into anything of a descriptive account of this chapel, which is of the true gothic style, the sacred monogram being ingeniously wrought in the celling at the intersection of the handsomely painted grained arch…. the plan was designed from the painting upon the subject by Father Lucius, and the entire workmanship executed by the Franciscan Brothers, of St. Mary’s, except the statue of the Holy Virgin, which was made in France for this church….

The imitation of the cliff covered with lilies, and the “memorable rose-bush,” are perfect, while from under the crevices of the rock is seen a spring of natural water. In the niche of the cliff is the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, the head being circled with the gold inscription, Je Suis L’lmmaculee Conception. Above the rocks is an exact picture of the church whose priest at first doubted the marvelous story of the appearance of Our Lady of Lourdes. The statue is indeed a triumph of art… for the figure has a strange fascination, for here at this shrine will many kneel to calm their tearful woes and anchor safe their faithful trust, (to) catch the sweet whisper of heavenly pardon mingled with the murmuring water from out of the cliff and under the blooming roses.

Memphis Daily Appeal, Dec 26, 1875

In 1884, this dramatic close call was described, involving a fire in the church that started from an overheated stove pipe:

The pipe from which the fire started ran through the roof on the south side of the church, not far from the altar, and directly in front of the grotto of Lourdes. The latter, which was erected a dozen years back, at cost of about $6000, it is said escaped all damage, and it is also said the fine organ at the front of the church was also wholly uninjured. The promptness with which the city firemen labored, saved the property from destruction, and the monastery as well the schoolhouse which adjoin the church, both escaped unharmed.

Weekly Public Ledger (Memphis), Dec 30, 1884

Sisters of St. Joseph, Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1876, extant)

The Sisters of St. Joseph established a mother house at Mount St. Joseph, Chestnut Hill in 1858 (the same year St. Bernadette saw the apparitions of Our Lady in Lourdes). They built a Lourdes grotto on their grounds in 1876:

Five young ladies were last week received into the sisterhood of St. Joseph at Chestnut Hill. The Most Rev. Archbishop Wood officiated, and, after the reception, a procession was formed and went to the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes, which has lately been erected on the grounds. An address was delivered by Miss A.J. Rafferty, of Lawrence, Mass., after which the grotto was dedicated by the archbishop.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 19, 1876

The Sisters of Saint Joseph founded Mount Saint Joseph College in 1924, renamed Chestnut Hill College in 1938, and the ancient grotto has been part of the lives of generations of students.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, K Street, Washington, D.C. (1876, not extant)

The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur established a convent and school in Washington, D.C. in 1873.

The Sisters of Notre Dame, in charge of St. Aloysius’ parish school for girls, received last, week a paper from Rome, dated April 25th, granting the same blessings and indulgences to their little Grotto of Lourdes as have been attached to the Grotto of Lourdes In France. The sisters are preparing for a grand May procession, Sunday, May 25th, when some 500 boys and girls belonging to their Sunday and parish schools will march down North Capital to I street, up I street to 2d n.w., and return to the church, where the crowning of the statue of the B. V. M.

Evening star (Washington, D.C.), May 17, 1879

An 1895 obituary of Sister Mary Clements identifies that she likely built the grotto:

Sister Mary Clements, of the Notre Dame order, who died on Wednesday…. Sister Mary Clements was one of the four original sisters who came Cincinnati to found the convent thirty years ago. She had been in active service as its directress until recently… To the Washington public she is mostly identified with the beautiful grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, which adjoins the convent, and which for more than twenty years has been the object of many pilgrimages in behalf of the sick and sorrowful. Sister Clements was in her sixty-fifth year and was one of the most beloved religious workers in Washington.

The Evening Times, October 11, 1895

The Lourdes grotto continued to exist in what became the Academy of Notre Dame (K St and Capitol St) until at least the early 1960s; that school was closed in 1989.

St. Michael’s Church, Convent, Louisiana (1876, extant)

No digitized primary sources or contemporary newspaper articles about the construction of the Lourdes grotto at St. Michael’s Church in Convent, LA could be found online. However, a local newspaper in nearby Lutcher (both Convent and Lutcher are about an hour west of New Orleans) gave an account of the history of the grotto in a 1958 series of articles about a Novena held during February, to honor the centenary anniversary of the original apparitions at Lourdes. The 1958 article was clearly based on descriptions from a contemporary article:

At that time the pastor of St. Michael’s Church at Convent was the Rev. Onezime Renaudier. S. M. On April 17, 1876, Easter Sunday, this zealous Marist priest, true son of Mary that he was, dedicated a shrine to the rear of the main altar of the church, to Our Lady of Lourdes. A special little chapel was built to house a beautiful grotto.

For this work Father Renaudier engaged the able services of Christophe Colomb, a resident of St. James Parish and an artistic builder of stone and pottery. Florian Dicharry, a parishioner, served as architect. The entire Grotto was made of sugar-cane clinkers, that is, charred bagasse. A large cauldron formed an alcove for the altar. Around this cauldron Colomb arranged the clinkers to form a very beautiful and artistic Grotto. The altar was very beautifully decorated with thousands of small sea-shells, each set by hand. The entire Grotto is well preserved to the present day.

On the 17th day of April, 1876, the historic church of St. Michael could hardly accommodate all the people who came for the blessing and dedication of the chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes. These ceremonies served as a climax to the grand solemnity of the Pasch. There were special seats reserved for the students of Jefferson College and for the Jefferson band. The Rev. J. Grimes, S.M., spiritual director of the College and later Bishop of Christ Church, New Zealand, delivered the eulogy of the Virgin for the occasion. The statue of the Immaculate Conception was blessed and in solemn procession was carried around the chruch to its alcove in the Grotto. Eight parishioners carried the statue on their shoulders and lifted it to its niche above the altar. At the feet of the Virgin a statue of Bernadette was placed, kneeling and saying her rosary. Since that day, 82 years ago, Catholics of this section have incessantly prayed at their little shrine at St. Michael’s. The many ex voto slabs of granite at the Grotto are indicative of the many favors received through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The News-Examiner (Lutcher, Louisiana), Feb 7, 1958

St. Michael’s Church still receives hundreds of visitors every year seeking this very old grotto of Lourdes, which has been beautifully maintained.

Woodstock College, Woodstock, Maryland (by 1877, not extant)

An 1877 newspaper article had this description of a celebration of the Pope’s Jubilee held at Woodstock College, which mentions the existence of Lourdes grotto on the campus:

A Notable Illumination. Woodstock College, near the Baltimore county and Howard county line, was the scene on Friday last of an imposing demonstration in honor of the Pope’s golden jubilee. The whole college front facing the south was brilliantly illuminated with Chinese lanterns, parti-colored lights, Bengal fire and a ceaseless display of fireworks. Some of the most noticeable features were the lighting up of the main entrance, the central statue on the grounds, the lawn, and the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

…Light streamed from every cornice and window, and bathed the lawn, statuary and grotto in radiance from calcium lenses. The effect was very fine.

The Baltimore Sun, Jun 11, 1877

A 1911 article about the college stated:

After a series of one or two more gardens comes the grove of tall tulip trees. This is preserved to a great extent in its natural beauty, and here, against the side of a knob of rock and earth and shaded by the thick growth of the trees, is a Grotto of Lourdes. It is one of the most attractive spots in the grounds.

The Baltimore Sun, Apr 30, 1911

It’s unknown exactly when this grotto was built, so it’s possible it predates some of the other grottos listed on this page. Woodstock College was established in 1869 on 243 acres by the Jesuit Fathers, who sold the property in 1969. The grounds are now part of Patapsco Valley State Park.

St. Stephen’s Church, Manhattan, New York (1877, not extant)

A Lourdes grotto was built in the basement of what is now Parish of Our Lady of the Scapular And Saint Stephen’s, in 1877, according to a newspaper article from that year:

A very good representation of the grotto at Lourdes, France, where it is said the Blessed Virgin appeared to the little girl named Bernadotte Soubirous a few years ago, has been gotten up and placed in the north western corner of the basement chancel of St. Stephen’s church in East Twenty-eighth street, in this city, near the Twenty-ninth street entrance. The lower portion or base of the grotto is about six feet square by about four feet in height. and is composed of rocks or broken stones procured from near by, which are partially covered with moss. Over the base, and resting upon it, is the grotto proper, which is about four feet square by four feet in height, and is in imitation of rocks, being made of the same material as that which forms the rocky cave surrounding the cascade in Gilmore’s garden. In the back part of the grotto, and elevated a little among the rocks, is a statue of “Our Lady of Lourdes,” while in the front part, just within the entrance, is a smaller statue of a little girl kneeling in prayer.

In the intervening space, between the Virgin and the child, is a small pond of water, representing the miraculous fountain which Bernadette dug out with her hands at the Virgin’s direction. A light is kept constantly burning inside the grotto, and surrounding the whole, at a little distance from the base, all around, is a wooden railing, making the entire space on the floor covered by this miniature grotto about eight feet square. In front of the grotto, at almost any hour of the day, and particularly during the early morning, large numbers of devout people can be seen kneeling and engaged in prayer to the Blessed Virgin.

Buffalo Weekly Courier (Buffalo, New York), Sep 5, 1877 (reprint from New York Sunday News)

No photos of this grotto could be found, and because it was located in the basement, it is unlikely any photos of it have survived.

Saint Martin De Tours Church, St. Martinsville, Louisiana (late 1870s, extant)

Saint Martin De Tours Church was built between 1836 and 1844, and then in 1874-75, an addition of transept “wings” to the church was added, in the left one of which the Lourdes grotto was built, perhaps in the late 1870s, according to the church website and an online article.

A 1876 article mentions that Father Jan, priest of St. Martins 1851-1887, had finished the transept addition the previous year and was trying to hire a New Orleans artist, Mr. Humbrecht, to fresco the interior (The Morning Star and Catholic Messenger (New Orleans), May 21, 1876). So the grotto likely wasn’t built until at least late 1876.

And it was definitely complete by 1884: An article in June of that year about the state exhibits at the World Cotton Centennial Exposition (held in New Orleans from December 1884-June 1885):

St. Martin’s Commissioner reports, among the more important articles for exhibition… a fac simile of the Grotto of Lourdes, natural size, reproduced from a copy of the one in the church at St. Martinsville, by a young artist of the town….

The Times-Picayune (New Orleans), Jun 14, 1884

The St. Martinsville grotto was likely built by 1880, for it to be well-known enough locally to be proposed as representative of their town by 1884.

University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana (first grotto, 1878, not extant)

The famous Lourdes grotto on the Notre Dame campus was built in 1896, but that was not the first Lourdes grotto built on the campus: the Rev. Edward Sorin, the French priest who founded the University in 1842, traveled to the holy site at Lourdes, France in 1873, and then built a Lourdes shrine at Notre Dame in 1878. After his death in 1893, his fragile wood shrine was replaced with a more durable stone cave-like grotto–the one most people are familiar with.

This short article in the Notre Dame Scholastic (and later reprinted in The South Bend Tribune, Oct 2, 1877)

It is the intention of Very Rev. Father Sorin to erect a fac-simile of the celebrated Grotto of Lourdes adjacent to the new church of our Lady of the Sacred Heart here at Notre Dame. There are already three miniature representations of the Grotto in the United States, one at the house of the Sisters of Notre Dame in St. Aloysius parish, Washington, D. C., one at the house of the Sisters of Charity at Yonkers, on the Hudson, and one at St. Mary’s Academy, Notre Dame, Ind.

Very Rev. Father Sorin, having frequently visited the celebrated Grotto at Lourdes, expresses his intention to make the representation at Notre Dame in every respect a fac-simile of the original, with the exception of the immense rock, 200 feet high. In all other respects he says the bill at the rear of the church presents every advantage for a fac-simile, which he wishes to produce with scrupulous exactness as regards height, length, depth, etc. He says that ever since his first visit to Lourdes, in 1873, his resolution to satisfy the wishes of pilgrims and visitors in this respect has constantly increased, and as there is a concourse of the former at Notre Dame from time to time, on the Feasts of Our Blessed Lady, especially on Rosary Sunday, the Assumption, and the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels, the fac simile of the wonder working Grotto cannot fail to be an object of attraction to all who visit the place.

Notre Dame Scholastic, September 29, 1877

The Grotto was blessed on August 15, 1878, the Feast of the Assumption, in which a large number participated:

The procession was perhaps a quarter of a mile long, and as it began to show itself at the brow of the hill above the lake, chanting the Litany, a salute was fired from a cannon on the opposite shore. First in the procession, after the cross-bearer and accompanying acolytes, came the College boys, then the Brothers of the Holy Cross, to the number of about two hundred, followed by a long line of seminarians and priests, chaunting appropriate canticles and hymns, conspicuous among the latter the tall and venerable figure of Very Rev. Father Sorin, Superior General of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, who had but lately returned to the scene of his early labors at Notre Dame after a lengthened stay in Rome and France. Next came the Sisters of the Holy Cross, numbering some four hundred and more, with the twenty-nine newly professed of their number crowned with their profession wreaths. The procession wound up with the visitors and Catholic neighbors. It was a beautiful sight—one well calculated to gladden the Christian heart. Having rounded the lake, the processionists halted in front of the newly erected Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, which was then blessed by Very Rev. Father Sorin, after which they entered the Church for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Notre Dame Scholastic, August 22, 1878

Father Sorin’s grotto, which, despite his intention to make it “in every respect a fac-simile of the original” did not in the least resemble the natural cave at Lourdes, was after his 1893 death replaced by the more rustic grotto made of stones shaped by nature, the Grotto that millions of Catholics and non-Catholics alike recognize today.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Terra Haute, Indiana (first grotto, 1879, not extant)

Like Notre Dame University in the previous section, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College also had an earlier Lourdes grotto that was replaced by a more naturalistic grotto in 1928. It too was constructed in a more formal, architectural style.

An 1891 history of the grotto confirms that this grotto was built and dedicated in 1879.

The grounds in the rear of the Academy were early cleared, leaving here and there some fine monarchs of the wood to serve as a shade from the summer sun; walks were made, grass-plots sown, flower-beds cultivated, evergreens planted, and the grounds in many ways made attractive; but owing to want of means no statuary was erected till 1879, when the Misses Howe, who had spent some time in Europe and Asia finishing their education… became impressed with the utility and fascinating sweetness of outdoor shrines seen everywhere in Bavaria, and concluded to contribute to the embellishing of St. Mary’s play-ground. For this purpose Miss Rose Howe purchased a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, and Miss Frances one of St. Joseph, which were sent to St. Mary’s. Miss Rose, whose thoughts during the last years of her life were fed upon scenes both sacred and beautiful in the Holy Land and other parts of the Old World, could think of nothing more worthy of her Alma Mater than a grotto representing the famous one at Lourdes, in which she wished Our Lady’s statue placed.

Miss Rose Howe, knowing the fascination that rural simplicity exerts over the minds of the young, selected for the site of her outdoor shrine a corner in the northern extremity of the play-ground, among a clump of beech trees. A raid was made on the farm for curious stones, and, to the joy of all interested, one containing a fissure just large enough to hold the statue was found.

The grotto was completed the 24th of July, 1879, on which day it was blessed. Being vacation, the pupils were absent, but their places in the procession were filled by the Sisters who were home for the annual retreat. The procession, which left the chapel at 6 P.M., was indeed a long one, and the Litany of Loretto was ended before the Right Rev. Bishop Chatard, who officiated on the occasion, reached the grotto. After the ceremony of blessing the statue, all knelt and silently implored our blessed Mother to take charge of all whose tender years may be spent among the trees and flowers of St. Mary’s play-ground. Then rising, all, as if with one accord, joined in a heart-felt “Magnificat”….

The donor of the grotto has been called to a better world, but her memory lives at St. Mary’s not only as an authoress of merit but as one of the institute’s brightest ornaments, and long will her name be coupled with the grotto, which has become endeared to Catholic and non-Catholic pupils alike. It is a subject they often choose for their composition, something they like to sketch, a place where they love to linger at early dawn and at the deepening twilight hour.

Souvenir of the fiftieth anniversary, or, golden jubilee of St. Mary’s Academic Institute: St. Mary of the Woods, Vigo Co., Ind. (June 24, 1891), page 58

Sadly, as noted in the history book, Miss Rose Howe died April 5, 1879, only in her mid-30s, before she could see the completed grotto that she had donated.

Mount St. Mary’s College, Emmitsburg, Maryland (1875-79, extant)

The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at Mount St. Mary’s College is a regionally well-known grotto (not as famous as the Notre Dame, Indiana one, but familiar to most east coast Catholics).

The website for the Emmitsburg grotto states that it was built in 1875, although I have not been able to verify this. Construction may have begun in 1875, but it was probably not finished until 1879. A two-volume history of Mount St. Mary’s College published in 1911 included the following 1902 letter:

The following interesting letter referring to events of ’79 was written to Mr. A. V. D. Watterson by Rev. P. L. Duffy, ’75:

Charleston, S. C., October 20, 1902; My Dear Alfred – I spent a very happy day at the old Mountain recently, and memories sacred and sweet crowded upon me. Forms of other days were with me from the pike to the grotto, and voices, some of them stilled, made the terrace musical. Sitting on the little rustic bridge over what I called the cave, between the old and the new grottoes, the day came back to me when reading “Lasserre on Lourdes” at spiritual reading for the boys, it occurred to me that all the conditions existed at the Mountain for a reproduction of the original grotto, and next day I started the work, that is, the collection. In a short time I was able to put the matter and the means for its accomplishment in the hands of your Right Rev. (then Reverend) brother, under whose direction the work was completed. I think it is in material situation, proportions and construction the most exact duplicate of the original Grotto in this country. You and I will never forget, I am sure, the impressive Corpus Christi processions, and I will always cherish the radiant memory of the first Benediction at the new Grotto on that beautiful June day in 1879.

The story of the Mountain; Mount St. Mary’s college and seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland, Volume 2, (1911), pages 169-70

Because Rev. Duffy graduated in the Class of 1875, his inspiration and collecting funds to build the grotto likely occurred by that year. But he refers to “the first Benediction at the new Grotto on that beautiful June day in 1879”

And another passage (on page 171) stated that “Bishop Allen said that Benediction took place for a while at this stone grotto, completed 1879, but that afterwards return was made to the old wooden shrine….”

A booklet, “The Story of Our Lady’s Grotto” (1965) states that Volume 15 of the college paper, The Mountaineer, contained a piece written by a seminarian describing how college President Father John A Waterson, “this devoted priest visited the project daily and personally supervised the construction, stone by stone.” The Mountaineer does not seem to be available digitally online yet.

It’s difficult to determine when the grotto was completed from newspaper searches, because the entire area was referred to as “The Grotto” from the early 19th century, when it was recognized for its spiritual and natural beauty: it was a favorite spot of the Blessed Mother Seton, who arrived in the area in 1809 and referred to the Grotto in her letters. And a wood lattice shrine called The Grotto and containing a statue of Our Lady was built near the current Lourdes grotto, before 1850.

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The table below lists 33 Lourdes grotto replicas built in the United States before 1890. There likely were others not discovered in digitized newspapers.

State	City	Institution	Name	Date(s)	Extant?	Address
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1873	no	Rittenhouse Square at 19th St., Philadelphia, PA
New York	Bronx	College of Mount Saint Vincent	Lourdes Grotto	1873	yes	6301 Riverdale Ave, Bronx, NY 10471
Louisiana	New Orleans	St. Louis Cathedral (indoor)	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1873	no	615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116
Indiana	Notre Dame	St. Mary’s Academy (indoor)	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	c.1874?	no	St Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Louisiana	New Orleans	Church of St. Mary of the Nativity	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1874	no	approx 801 Cambronne St, New Orleans, LA
New York	Brooklyn	St. Francis de Sales Church (indoor)	Grotto of Lourdes	1875	no	Broadway & Aberdeen Sts, Brooklyn, NY
Tennessee	Memphis	St. Mary’s Church (indoor)	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1875	yes	155 Market St, Memphis, TN 38105
Louisiana	Baton Rouge	St. Joseph Church / Cathedral (indoor)	Grotto of Lourdes	1875	no	401 Main Street, Baton Rouge, LA
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia – Chestnut Hill	Sisters of St. Joseph	Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes grotto	1876	yes	9601 Germantown Ave #20, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Washington, D.C.	Washington, D.C.	Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1876	no	K Street convent
Louisiana	Convent	St. Michael’s Church (indoor)	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1876	yes	6484 LA-44, Convent, LA 70723
Maryland	Woodstock	Woodstock College	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	bef.1877	no	10900 Old Court Rd, Woodstock, MD 21163
New York	New York City	St. Stephen’s Church (indoor)	Grotto of Lourdes	1877	no	151 E 28th St, New York, NY 10016
Louisiana	St. Martinville	Saint Martin De Tours Church (indoor)		late 1870s	yes	133 S Main St, St Martinville, LA 70582
Indiana	Notre Dame	University of Notre Dame	Grotto of Lourdes (earlier)	1878	no	Holy Cross Dr, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Indiana	Terra Haute	Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (old)	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1879	no	1 St Mary of Woods Coll, St Mary-Of-The-Woods, IN 47876
Maryland	Emmitsburg	Mount St. Mary’s College	National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1879	yes	16300 Old Emmitsburg Rd, Emmitsburg, MD 21727
New York	Rochester	Our Lady of Victory Church (indoor)	Grotto Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes	1880	no	210 Pleasant St, Rochester, NY 14604
Hawaii	Kaloa, Kauai	Saint Raphael Catholic Church (older)		1880
Kentucky	Trappist	Abbey of Gethsemani	Grotto of Lourdes	bef.1881	no	3642 Monks Rd, Trappist, KY 40051
West Virginia	Wheeling	Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy	Grotto of Lourdes	bef. 1882	partial	410 Washington Ave Wheeling, WV 26003
Louisiana	Thibodeaux	St. Joseph’s Cemetery	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	bef.1883	yes	949 Menard St, Thibodaux, LA 70301
Louisiana	New Orleans	Convent Sisters N.D./St. Mary of the Assumption Church	Grotto	bef.1883	maybe?
Texas	Dallas	Ursuline Academy	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1883	no	1330 st joseph st dallas tx
Kentucky	Louisville	St. Louis Bertrand Church (indoor)	Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes	1884	yes	1104 S 6th St, Louisville, KY 40203
Maryland	Baltimore	St. John’s Female School	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1885	no	approx. 908 Valley St, Baltimore, MD
Maine	Lewiston	St. Joseph’s Church (basement)	Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes	bef.1886	no
California	San Jose	College of Notre Dame	Grotto Garden	1886
Maine	Portland	Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (indoor in chapel)	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1887	yes	307 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101
California	Martinez	De La Salle Institute / Christian Bros. (Winery)	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1880s	no	Ulfinian Way & Andrews Drive, Martinez, CA
Texas	Brownsville	Incarnate Word Convent/Academy	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes	1888	yes	200 Resaca Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78520
New York	Auriesville	Shrine of the North American Martyrs	The Grotto in the Ravine	by 1889	yes	136 Shrine Rd #2, Fultonville, NY 12072
Kentucky	Covington	St. Aloysius Church	Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes (basement)	1889	no	410 W 8th St, Covington, KY 41011