Things have slowed down significantly for us at Wonder Woods, so we can take some time away and visit different places. A few weeks ago, we set out for South Bend, Indiana, to visit the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the University of Notre Dame. In the winter of Ken’s senior year of high school (1984/85), he went to UND as a leader on their Kairos Retreat. It was a life-changing few days. One of the many, most impactful parts was the time he spent in prayer at the Lourdes Grotto on campus. It was nighttime, and it was snowing. The campus, and especially the grotto, were quiet and incredibly peaceful. So, every chance he gets, Ken stops back at UND and the grotto for a visit. Please check out the pics and the picture captions. Until next time, YOU and We RVery Blessed!
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. A basilica in the Catholic Church is a church building that has been granted special privileges by the Pope, signifying its importance and historical significance.
We have a thing about church doors. Outside these doors is disorder, stress, and chaos. Inside the doors is a hospital for sinners. A place of peace, love, acceptance, and welcome. Think of all the people who have passed through these doors over the years. Ken is always sure to touch the door in a typically untouched area. He’s weird like that. He does it to every church door.
The sanctuary of the basilica is absolutely beautiful. The church is open most hours of the day for respite and prayer.
The ceiling above the altar of the church. Zoom in.
They have a pretty impressive reliquary. Relics are very small fragments of objects connected to Jesus Christ or the saints. In the Catholic church/faith, relics come in three classes. Class 1 is an actual fragment of a saint or church leader, such as a strand of hair or a piece of bone. Class 2 is something that belonged to the saint or church leader, and a class 3 relic is something that has been touched to either of the first two classes. We have seen and venerated pieces of the true cross of Christ’s crucifixion, pieces of His crown of thorns and many others.
If you zoom in on this pic you can see just how small each relic is. They also have the name of the person/object written on the display in Latin.
The Golden Dome of the University of Notre Dame. The Golden Dome was added to the administration building in 1882 and was most recently regilded in 2005. The regilding process uses only about a fist-full of gold leaf to cover the entire structure. Atop the Dome, you will find a 19-foot-tall, 4,000-pound statue of Mary, the Mother of God, “Notre Dame” (“Our Lady”).
The Lourdes Grotto at UND. It is actually much bigger than how this photo portrays, but there were pepole in prayer and we thought it disrespectful to photograph them!
The UND inscription on the grounds near the grotto.
We lit a candle at the grotto, we always do. We prayed intentionally for everyone who has ever asked for our prayers and also for those who need prayers but haven’t asked. We prayed for YOU!
The tabernacle behind the altar at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Inside the tabernacle is the consecrated host (Eucharist). As Catholics, we believe that this is the TRUE body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
One of the incredible side altars inside the basilica.
The golden dome of Notre Dame, atop the administration building.
