By Deb Forstner
Mary Ann (Becker) Koep, 97, a long-time parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Urbank, was 14 years old when a large grotto was constructed outside the church in honor of the Virgin Mary’s appearance to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France.
Mary Ann recalls driving through the town and seeing people pray at the grotto, particularly during the summer months. She describes the setting as beautiful and peaceful. To her recollection, it was the religious sisters assigned there who wanted Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette honored in this special way.
The grotto was constructed in 1939. While the area does not have natural rocky hills or above-ground caves, Father Jeff Ethen, who researched and wrote the centennial book for Sacred Heart Church, notes that the priest at the time, Father Matthias Hoffman, did much of the manual labor of moving and stacking field stone from the surrounding area himself. It was renovated in 1987.
More recently, when Jessica Dorn joined Sacred Heart 15 years ago, she was struck by how unique it was to have a grotto of its size right outside the church. Many people take photos in front of it for special occasions, such as weddings, she said. “Even when you pass by it in the evening, it is lit up and still just as peaceful.”
While the statue of Mary is more protected since it is surrounded by rocks, the St. Bernadette statue has suffered from weathering. Jessica has taken on the mission, in cooperation with the local Christian Mothers group, of helping to search for a new statue of St. Bernadette in a kneeling position or find a way to successfully repair the one the parish has.
The current statue is 2.5 feet tall and made of cement. While Hurley’s Religious Goods in Fargo, North Dakota, has tried to find a replacement, some of the companies that previously produced such custom-built statues are no longer in business. Today, fiberglass is often used, but the parish fears it would not be durable for the outdoor setting.
Anyone with ideas to help Sacred Heart Church repair or replace its St. Bernadette statue may contact Jessica Dorn at 701-799-0467.