Our Lady of Lourdes - Erie, PA - Statues of Religious Figures on Waymarking.com

The Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto on the campus of Mercyhurst University was designed by the Rev. William L. Sullivan, the first Chaplain of Mercyhurst College, in 1932. The grotto has a statue depicting Our Lady as she appeared in the grotto at Lourdes, France to St. Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Along with the statue of the Blessed Virgin, the grotto contains an altar, kneeler, and candle rack. The grotto formerly also had a statue of St. Bernadette, but this statue is no longer there. A stone embedded into the ground in front of the grotto notes, "The ruins of the original Lady of Lourdes statue, which was the focal point of the grotto from 1932-1992, are buried beneath this ground. The new statue was made in Italy and blessed on November 7, 1993.

The grotto commemorates when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a poor young girl, a number of times in 1858 in Lourdes, France. The Blessed Mother referred to herself as the Immaculate Conception and told Bernadette to have a chapel built at the grotto where the apparitions took place. While at first the local priest did not accept Bernadette's story, eventually he came to believe, as did many of the people of France, especially those who received miraculous cures at the grotto's spring. The Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes was built at the site in 1876 and is still one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world. St. Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity, died in 1879, and was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1933.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is venerated by Christians as the Mother of the Word Incarnate, Our Lord Jesus Christ. As a young girl betrothed to St. Joseph, Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she would conceive a son by the Holy Ghost, who would be the Son of God. In humble obedience to the divine messenger, Mary replied, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word." In Bethlehem, her Son was born and was adored by shepherds and kings. As is known throughout the world, this Son, Jesus Christ, went on to suffer on the cross and rise again, offering salvation to the world through Him. Today, Mary is venerated as the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven.

Associated Religion(s): Roman Catholic Statue Location: Mercyhurst University Campus Entrance Fee: None Artist: Not listed Website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the statue. A waymarker and/or GPSr is not required to be in the image but it doesn't hurt.

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