Why do people visit the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Grotto?
Why do people visit the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Grotto? The Grotto is a place of prayer, hope, peace, respect, unity and silence. When passing through the Grotto or standing in front of it, each person has his or her own personal understanding of what it means. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI both came to pray at this Grotto.
Why do people visit grottos?
Religious grottoes They are often used as shrines in which to place statues of saints, particularly the Virgin Mary, in outdoor gardens. Many Roman Catholics visit a grotto where Bernadette Soubirous saw apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes. Numerous garden shrines are modeled after these apparitions.
What is the religious meaning of Grotto?
The word “grotto” has become used almost exclusively to refer to Catholic shrines built into a rock formation. Often these rock formations are man-made, but they can also be found in natural caves throughout the world. Grottoes originated in both Greek and Roman culture and were associated with various gods.
What is the symbolism of grotto?
The garden grotto went hand in hand with the idea of mountain caverns or underground caves. Grottoes, associated with cold, the desert, death, initiation- became, in the literary context, images of the interior of the Earth.