St. Anne Parish creates Marian grotto from former St. Rose of Lima grotto

In this photo from May 28, Father John Hall, pastor of St. Anne Parish in New Castle, blesses a Marian statue from the former St. Rose of Lima Parish in Knightstown that now graces the St. Anne parish cemetery. (Submitted photo)

By Patty Hughes (Special to The Criterion)

NEW CASTLE—St. Anne Parish in New Castle recently blessed a Marian grotto that pays tribute to the former St. Rose of Lima Parish in Knightstown.

In 2016, under decree by then-Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin, St. Rose of Lima was merged with St. Anne Parish. Three years later, after much consideration and examination of the church structure, it was decided to sell the St. Rose of Lima church property by decree of Archbishop Charles C. Thompson. In November of 2019, the last Mass was celebrated at St. Rose of Lima Church.

Many items from the church were sold to other parishes or given to missions for use. But there was one item St. Anne parish wanted to keep—the former St. Rose of Lima Marian grotto.

The grotto was encircled by a walk of bricks that contained the names of all pastors, deacons and religious that served at St. Rose of Lima. Parishioners also purchased memorial bricks to complete and help with the cost of the project.

Father John Hall, pastor of St. Anne Parish, suggested moving the grotto to the St. Anne cemetery. Parishioners of both the former St. Rose of Lima and those at St. Anne were in favor of the project.

Although the grotto structure itself was too massive and delicate to move, the Marian statue, benches and bricks from St. Rose were removed and stored through the course of three years.

After a cemetery driveway restoration project, delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and cost increases that required a redesign of the initial plan, efforts to create the Marian grotto finally got underway this year.

The design is in the shape of a cross using the bricks from the former grotto’s walkway. The bricks used that have no names will be offered for memorials in the future to help with the expense. The Marian statue sits on a pedestal at the top arm of the cross with two benches on either side.

It is a project the parishioners have waited anxiously to complete. The grotto was blessed by Father Hall on May 28.

The parishioners are grateful for all the hard work, fundraising and physical effort that went into creating this beautiful space from the former St. Rose of Lima grotto. It is the hope of all parishioners that this will be a quiet place for those who visit the cemetery to spend a few minutes in prayer to the Blessed Mother. †