Padre Gustav Gollbach, O.M.I.
Posted by: 
linkys
N 26° 22.880 W 098° 49.173
14R E 518000 N 2917927
The Rev. Gustav Gollbach built an exact replica of the Our Lady Of Lourdes Grotto in Rio Grande City, Texas.
Waymark Code: WM7NXC
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/15/2009
Views: 15
On a side street in Rio Grande City, Texas is an Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto built to resemble the Shrine of Lourdes in southern France. It was principally the work of one man, the Rev. Gustav Gollbach, who was born in Germany, but spent most of his life in this part of Texas. While he was there, serving as pastor the next door Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, he began the work that draws many even today.
The Grotto is a man made mountain, standing 33 feet high and 90 feet wide, and Gollbach, a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate order, built much of the mountain himself. In the center of the grotto, a 7-foot-tall statue of the Madonna in a white gown with a blue sash looks down on a life-size statue of the poor French peasant girl kneeling in prayer.
To honor Gollbach, two markers have been erected, this one in Spanish and another in English. They proudly stand side by side, honor the made who's built the shine that stands in the distance.