Photos
from the "Victory Ball Programme" of February 25, 1930
The article below was authored by R. J. Wilhelmi and printed within the Programme.
Grotto of Our Lady of
Lourdes
and
Shrine of Our Lady of
Victory
The latest acquisition to Chicago's great Northwest Side is a
picturesque Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and a quaint baldachin
Shrine of Our Lady of Victory. This new spot of prayer and
pilgrimage is located on the south west corner of Our Lady of
Victory Parish block (Agatite Ave. near Lockwood Ave.).
It
may be of interest to know that one hundred and fifty tons of stone
were used in the construction of this grotto and shrine. This
stone, known as Tufa stone, is dredged from the mineral water beds
near Sandusky, Ohio. Approaching the grotto, there is a rustic
garden fountain on the left and the Shrine of Our Lady of Victory on
the right. Entering the main court of the grotto, which is
surrounded by an eight foot wall, one is immediately impressed by
the beautiful statue of the Blessed Virgin which stands aloft in a
rugged ten foot niche. A fountain of water trickles down
through the rocks from the base of this statue and finds an outlet
in a little lagoon below. Looking to the right of this statue,
the crude balustrade of rock formations is the railing of the
pulpit. Close at hand in the fore-ground is the statue of
Bernadette in kneeling posture looking up towards the statue of the
Blessed Virgin. The fourteen niches in the enclosing wall are
reserved for the Stations of the Cross, which are to be erected as
soon as the weather permits. An interesting spectacle is the
large vaulted cave in the grotto itself. An altar of the same
stone, flanked on each side by two adoring angels, holds the central
position in this cave of rock. Underneath the altar, there is
a miniature cave or recess to shelter the statue of Our Lord in
death as is commonly depicted in Church on Good Friday. This
setting would remind one of the Catacombs. During the
Christmas season, the altar and cave furnish an appropriate setting
for the Crib of Bethlehem. The interior of the cave, the
statues, Stations of the Cross, the fountain and waterfall, are
indirectly illuminated, so that at night the ensemble presents a
very interesting study in color effects with lighting. In the
Spring, the approach to the Grotto will be properly landscaped with
shrubs, trees and flowers. Plans are underway to solemnly
bless and dedicate this grotto and shrine on the first day of
May, 1930.
Main Entrance to
Grotto
The original Notre Dame de Lourdes is in the Department of Hautes,
Pyrenees, France. The Lourdes Grotto at Our Lady of Victory is
but a replica, a copy of the original with many added features.
Millions of people from all parts of the world have visited Lourdes
in France. It is far-famed as a place of pilgrimage and a
centre of extraordinary events. Thousands of miraculous cures,
attested to by a non-believing medical world, have been obtained at
this shrine of our Blessed Lady. Never has a sanctuary
attracted such throngs.
The pilgrimage of Lourdes, France, is founded on the apparitions of
the Blessed Virgin Mary to a poor fourteen year old girl, Bernadette
Soubiroux. The first apparition occurred Feb. 11, 1858.
This apparition or mysterious vision she saw in the hollow of the
rock Massabielle. Numerous apparitions followed. At
first the clergy were incredulous and paid little or no attention to
Bernadette and her claims that a chapel should be built on the spot
of the apparition as requested by the Blessed Virgin, but later in
1862, the Bishop of the diocese publicly declared the faithful
"justified in believing the reality of the apparitions." In
1873 great national pilgrimages were inaugurated to visit Lourdes
and since that time Lourdes has been and still is the great Mecca of
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Lourdes Grotto and
Christmas Crib
The Lourdes Grotto and Shrine at Our Lady of Victory are open to all
visitors. Credit for the building of such a wonderful monument
to our Blessed Lady goes to Father Frank, the pastor of Our Lady of
Victory. It represents another milestone of achievement in his
long years of service in this parish. The statue of the
Blessed Virgin (the Immaculate Conception) in the Grotto is a gift
of Mr. and Mrs. Bunescu. The Holy Name Society and the
Christian Mothers Asociation are the donors of the statue of Our
Lady of Victory. The beautiful set of Christmas Crib statues
is the cherished gift of the Children of the parish. The
fourteenth (XIV) Station, "Jesus is laid in the Sepulchre" Station
of the Cross, will be erected as a memorial to the late Stella
Slupikowski by her devoted husband and son (donors).
Our Lady of Victory
Shrine
The
people of Our Lady of Victory Parish may indeed feel proud of their
latest acquisition which in the permanent language of stone will
tell the story of their devotion to the Blessed Virgin for many ages
to come.
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