The Grotto in the undercroft of St. Clement

If you have not already done so, check out Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in St. Clement Church basement. It is a beautiful place to spend quiet time, reflect, and pray.

Here is information about it from our 150th anniversary document: 

The original grotto was constructed in 1899 and was lit by gas light. It is the "Out Lady of Lourdes Grotto.  When it was dedicated in 1900, there was even a song, "Hymn to Our Lady of Lourdes, written to mark the day.  It was much larger.  It was not uncommon for weddings to be celebrated there.  It has undergone several renovations.  It was the renovation in 1993 under the leadership of Fr. Al Hudepohl that made the grotto much smaller to allow for a new heating system as well as central air-conditioning.

Artistic ceramic tiles line the walls.  The tiles represent titles of Mary: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Grace, the Madonna and Child, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Queen of the Holy Rosary, Queen of Heaven, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary as a child with her mother, Mary’s espousal to St. Joseph, the dying Virgin, the Queen with her heart pierced by seven swords, and Our Sorrowful Mother. 

There is an Infant of Prague in a case built by parishioner Frank Schlotman.  Frank also built the communion rail.  The stations are medallions.  There are several statues, The Pieta, St. Joseph, and 

A unique image is the mural on the back wall, created 1953 by Carl-Alexander von Volborth who taught at the University of Cincinnati. The people shown are meant to represent the entire parish. Depicted in the mural are two friars, two Oldenburg Franciscan Sisters (representing those who taught at St. Clement school), a child in uniform, a grandmother, and a family. In the background can be seen St. Clement church on one side with St. Bernard City Hall on the other. The title of the mural is “Our Lady of St. Clement in St. Bernard.”