Rocks of Ages

We recently attended a wedding at the church adjacent to St. Philip Parish Grotto Shrine, in Rudolph, Wisconsin. Well, we had never ever been to a grotto before. We were intrigued. What would we find there?









Pretty much what you would expect. A place for quiet contemplation that has been a work in progress since 1927 built from lava rock and concrete, Italian marble sculpture, shells, marbles, and glass from the Kokomo Opalescent Glass Co. in Indiana, that has over 40 features including a wonder cave, picnic grounds, and gift shop.

Some Grotto Garden and Wonder Cave facts:

The Wonder Cave is a 1/5 mile catacomb-like passageway through the grotto depicting 26 shrines of the life and teachings of Jesus.

Each year approximately 30 pickup loads of annual flowers are planted in the grotto gardens.

Much of the rock used to build the grotto is a rare lavarock found within a 15-20 mile radius of Rudolph.

And if you are considering a road trip...Meals are provided on a reservation basis for groups of 30 or more by the women of the parish.