Many Americans travel to France in search of healing and hope at the famous Lourdes Grotto. What some people may not know, though, is that they don’t have to make the long trip to Europe - the Grotto is right here in Belleville, Illinois!

Well, actually a replica of the Grotto is here. Although it is not the original site of the apparitions, the Lourdes Grotto at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows has become an inspirational site for the millions of pilgrims who visit.

Construction for the Lourdes Grotto began in 1959, one year after development began for the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. The Lourdes Grotto was created to serve as an additonal devotional site for thousands of faithful Shrine pilgrims.

The Grotto was designed to be two-thirds the size of the original in France. The Oblates chose a richly wooded area for the site, but finding a way to preserve the natural beauty of the land while adding the cavern-like walls of the Grotto became a challenge.

A local tool designer made a clay model that was used in the formation of the walls. Using the designer’s idea, dirt that was cut away from the area was piled high into a mold for the Grotto walls. Then, cement was poured over the dirt mold, forming a 3-foot thick shell. When the shell hardened, the dirt was removed from underneath and placed on top of the structure. The result was a near-exact replica of the original Lourdes Grotto.

The Oblates and the pilgrims to the Shrine celebrated the completion of the Grotto in the summer of 1961 during the 10th Solemn Novena to Our Lady of the Snows - now known as the Healing and Hope Novena.

Today, the Grotto is a special place of prayer and reflection for the pilgrims to the Shrine. An altar stands within the Grotto walls for special Masses or devotional services, candles are lit below Our Lady’s statue, and a statue of St. Bernadette was added to remind pilgrims of the young girl’s devotion to Our Lady and faith in Our Lord.