When adventure calls, Greg “The Mayor” Andrews, of Indianapolis, takes to the road to document all the nooks and crannies Indiana and surrounding states have to offer. Nestled in an unassuming neighborhood, the Jasper Geode Grotto was a prime destination for exploring.
The grotto includes the Mother of God Grotto and St. Joseph shrine — maybe one of Indiana’s more interesting and largest pieces of folk art.
Originally occupying a four-acre lot, the twin shrines to Mary and St. Joseph were built over a decade by Father Phillip Ottavi, director of St. Joseph’s Providence Home, which cared for men with developmental disabilities. St. Joseph is the patron saint of those with developmental disabilities. The grotto occupies the former site of the home’s handball court.
Working with a crew of residents from the home and community volunteers, Father Phillip Ottavi, an Italian immigrant, was inspired to build the grotto and shrine by the famous Lourdes shrine in Europe. Geodes used to build the shrine were harvested from a Lawrence County creek near Heltonville, and other items were donated to create the monuments.
A plaque at the site shines light on its construction process, including words from Father Thaddeus Sztucko, who helped with the build. There were “no blueprints, just inspiration.” The monument was finished with religious statues imported from Italy.
Folk art appeals to Andrews. “I’ve always been fascinated by those hidden spots and quirky areas. I knew our state had to hold a bunch of those types of places so I started “shunpiking,” a term which means to avoid toll roads and turnpikes and take the back roads. I’ve found many interesting spots just by getting lost out in the country and stumbling upon something interesting.”
In 2016, the grotto came under threat when a portion of the property was slated for a new construction project. The land where the Mother of God Grotto sits was donated in 2016 by Cathedral Health Care to the Friends of Grotto Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is to maintain and preserve the Mother of God grotto and shrine.
Thanks to various grants obtained by the organization, 32 geode features have been relocated, restored and consolidated at the Mother of God Grotto.
“Our mission includes both preservation and prayer,” said Tim Bell in a 2017 article in the Evansville Courier & Press. “Father Ottavi did not build these structures solely for their beauty but as a place of prayer and personal healing. I invite the public to spend some time at the grotto in prayer and reflection.”
The Geode Grotto, also known as the Mother of God Grotto and St. Joseph Shrine, is located at 520 W. 9th St., Jasper, Ind., 47546.
Source : IndyStar.
