To the northwest of the church, midway between the church and the old convent, now converted to the
Tignish Heritage Inn, stands this grotto. We assume that it was originally used by the nuns of the convent for outdoor prayer. Built of fairly large uncut stones, the grotto has a platform within its arch, with a tall statue containing a melange of multiple figures. Added later were war memorial plaques, one on each side of the arch and a third on the platform.
The brick High Gothic church is the work of famed New York architect, Patrick Charles Keely, the designer of over 600 Roman Catholic churches in eastern North America. The cornerstone was laid on June 9, 1859, with completion of the church coming about in 1860. The magnificent pipe organ was installed in 1882 while the church's interior decoration took place primarily in 1885. Standing 185 feet high at the top of the steeple, this is the largest church on Prince Edward Island.