Peace be with you.
I wanted to share what is a very special place, not only to me, but certainly to many others. It is a little grotto at St. Mary's. It is located along Rt 15 just a few miles from the Gettysburg Battlefield, in Pennsylvania.
I discovered it years ago quite by accident. I bought a motorcycle and was out touring country roads when in the distance I saw something shimmering in the sun from a nearing mountain. It was so bright that I could not see what it was. As I got closer, I saw that it was a huge statue, gold in color and reflecting the sun, of the Virgin Mary. It called for exploration.
Naturally, I turned my bike towards it. It turned out to be a beautiful little place, cut into a hillside, overlooking St. Mary's seminary. Walking into it was like walking into a tunnel, due to all the trees and beautiful vegetation. You could feel that it was a Holy place.
It turned out that it was an entire area dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It had the stations of the Cross, various statues depicting appearances of the Virgin Mary (all set in small alcoves of vegetation with benches), a grotto where masses could be held and prayers offered, a small chapel, and, deeper inside, a wooden cross with our Lord Jesus Christ upon it.
There were a large number of visitors there, yet I felt alone (though not in Spirit). For some reason, I could not help but cry slightly.
Though it is about three hours from where I live, I have been back several times, often with those most dear to me. The first person I brought there was my best friend, who was recently married and was struggling over whether or not he could afford to start a family. We walked apart, lost in our own reflections.
On the ride home, he told me that at one of the alcoves, one where Mary laid with the infant Jesus by her side and St. Joseph standing tall next to them, that he had received a message. He believed that it came from St. Joseph and it told him that it was time to start a family. He called his wife from the car that night and no sooner had he returned home, they became pregnant.
He and his wife visited me eight months later. She was, of course, quite pregnant now, and he asked me if I would take them back to this place so that he could share it with his wife. The day that we planned to go was a huge blizzard and ice storm. It was the worst I had ever driven in. Oddly enough, just before they had come to visit, I had bought a new four wheel drive vehicle which made the trip possible.
When we arrived, there was nobody there at all due to the weather. I mean NOBODY. The gates were closed and padlocked. We drove down to St. Mary's where I found the police/security personnel. The "Chief" gave me the key and we went back up. I didn't enter this time, rather I watched my dear friend and his wife walk down the path inside of it, holding hands as they made the only imprints in the fresh snow. They told me that they offered their prayers of thanks. We relocked the gate and returned the key. I returned a month later to draw water from the grotto which I sent to him for his son's baptism.
The next person I brought there was my girlfriend (now wife). She was baptized and confirmed Catholic, but had left the Church. She was not at all opposed to returning to the Church, but was in the process of discovery and learning still. We walked the paths in silence, occassionally laughing at each other as we noticed tears overwhelming us. It was not long after this visit that she came to recognize and accept the beauty and truth of Catholicism.
We made another trip there together prior to THE TRIP. On that TRIP, after we had walked the paths and viewed the various alcoves, I led her back to the Cross. Despite there being several tours there at the time, we found ourselves alone before the Cross. I took a knee.... After she said YES, we said a prayer, asking for God's blessing and thanking him. Then we attended mass at St. Marys.
We have not been back since, but I know that I must go soon and draw water again. This time for something I had NEVER expected on that first visit. The baptism of my own daughter.
If you ever have the opportunity, visit this place. Catholic or not. You cannot help but feel the presence of God there.
Now as I reach for a kleenex....
God Bless and stay safe.
I wanted to share what is a very special place, not only to me, but certainly to many others. It is a little grotto at St. Mary's. It is located along Rt 15 just a few miles from the Gettysburg Battlefield, in Pennsylvania.
I discovered it years ago quite by accident. I bought a motorcycle and was out touring country roads when in the distance I saw something shimmering in the sun from a nearing mountain. It was so bright that I could not see what it was. As I got closer, I saw that it was a huge statue, gold in color and reflecting the sun, of the Virgin Mary. It called for exploration.
Naturally, I turned my bike towards it. It turned out to be a beautiful little place, cut into a hillside, overlooking St. Mary's seminary. Walking into it was like walking into a tunnel, due to all the trees and beautiful vegetation. You could feel that it was a Holy place.
It turned out that it was an entire area dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It had the stations of the Cross, various statues depicting appearances of the Virgin Mary (all set in small alcoves of vegetation with benches), a grotto where masses could be held and prayers offered, a small chapel, and, deeper inside, a wooden cross with our Lord Jesus Christ upon it.
There were a large number of visitors there, yet I felt alone (though not in Spirit). For some reason, I could not help but cry slightly.
Though it is about three hours from where I live, I have been back several times, often with those most dear to me. The first person I brought there was my best friend, who was recently married and was struggling over whether or not he could afford to start a family. We walked apart, lost in our own reflections.
On the ride home, he told me that at one of the alcoves, one where Mary laid with the infant Jesus by her side and St. Joseph standing tall next to them, that he had received a message. He believed that it came from St. Joseph and it told him that it was time to start a family. He called his wife from the car that night and no sooner had he returned home, they became pregnant.
He and his wife visited me eight months later. She was, of course, quite pregnant now, and he asked me if I would take them back to this place so that he could share it with his wife. The day that we planned to go was a huge blizzard and ice storm. It was the worst I had ever driven in. Oddly enough, just before they had come to visit, I had bought a new four wheel drive vehicle which made the trip possible.
When we arrived, there was nobody there at all due to the weather. I mean NOBODY. The gates were closed and padlocked. We drove down to St. Mary's where I found the police/security personnel. The "Chief" gave me the key and we went back up. I didn't enter this time, rather I watched my dear friend and his wife walk down the path inside of it, holding hands as they made the only imprints in the fresh snow. They told me that they offered their prayers of thanks. We relocked the gate and returned the key. I returned a month later to draw water from the grotto which I sent to him for his son's baptism.
The next person I brought there was my girlfriend (now wife). She was baptized and confirmed Catholic, but had left the Church. She was not at all opposed to returning to the Church, but was in the process of discovery and learning still. We walked the paths in silence, occassionally laughing at each other as we noticed tears overwhelming us. It was not long after this visit that she came to recognize and accept the beauty and truth of Catholicism.
We made another trip there together prior to THE TRIP. On that TRIP, after we had walked the paths and viewed the various alcoves, I led her back to the Cross. Despite there being several tours there at the time, we found ourselves alone before the Cross. I took a knee.... After she said YES, we said a prayer, asking for God's blessing and thanking him. Then we attended mass at St. Marys.
We have not been back since, but I know that I must go soon and draw water again. This time for something I had NEVER expected on that first visit. The baptism of my own daughter.
If you ever have the opportunity, visit this place. Catholic or not. You cannot help but feel the presence of God there.
Now as I reach for a kleenex....
God Bless and stay safe.
