Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto at Oblate School of Theology - San Antonio, TX - Cave Entrances (Artificial) on Waymarking.com

in 1858, near Lourdes, France, a young woman named Bernadette Soubirous was gathering firewood in the area and was at the mouth of the cave when she saw the apparition of the Mary, Mother of God. Over the next several weeks, Bernadette returned to the cave entrance and testified to having many other apparitions. After one of the appearances, Bernadette discovered a spring that began to flow from the cave. News of the apparitions and of the spring waters began to spread. The Catholic authorities took great interest in these events and documented the testimony and experiences of Bernadette and other effected by the grotto and its spring. By January 1862, the local Bishop of Tarbes endorsed the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France. In July 1876, Pope Pius !X granted Canonical Coronation to the image of Mary that was in the Basilica in Lourdes; and, in 1933, Bernadette Soubirous was canonized as a Catholic saint by Pope Paul XI.

From these events from the 1850s through 1870s, Catholics around the world have made many replicas representing the young woman seeing the vision of the Mother of God at the entrance of the grotto at Lourdes. Catholic mass is often given in the larger versions of the Grotto of Lourdes, and at the smaller, more intimate replications of the Grotto, individuals come to pray privately.

The Grotto of Lourdes replicas have some common features: the statue of the Blessed Mother of God is on in a high nook on the right side of the cave wall, the young woman is kneeling in prayer and adoration on the floor of the cave but is looking up at the vision. Mary is dressed in white with a blue sash around her and has yellow roses at her feet.

This Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto on the Oblate School of Theology campus happens to have been built by skilled artisans who reproduced the look and the specific dimensions of the entrance to the original Lourdes, France cave entrance. After being verified as accurate and an exact replica of the Lourdes Grotto, the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto was dedicated on December 7, 1941.

To get to the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto on the Oblate School of Theology, the official street address is 5712 Blanco Road, but this will not take you to the grotto. Travel northward on Blance to the intersection of Blance and Mt. Sacred Heart Rd. Turn right onto Mr. Sacred Heart Rd and travel Eastward until you see the entrance into a large parking lot. Turn right and park at you preferred parking spot. It is free parking. Walk toward the south toward the middle of the Oblate School of Theology campus. At the edge of the parking lot you will see walkways that will lead you alongside the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto sanctuary.

Guests are welcomed to visit the OST campus and to use the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine, the Stations of the Cross, the Hope sculpture, the labyrinth or any other of the attractions on the campus. The only requirement is that you obey the posted requirements for wearing a face mask while on the campus during the Covid 19 pandemic, for your safety as well as the safety of the other guests. Please be respectful and reverent while moving around the campus so not to disturb or distract others who are there to worship, pray or meditate.

Link to the Wikipedia reference of the Lady of Lourdes :
(visit link)

Link to Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto :
(visit link)

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Date Logged Log User Rating   01/09/2022 WalksfarTX visited it 09/19/2020 WayBetterFinder visited it

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