Warford Grotto
A Peaceful Space to Pray with Our Patroness
The É«»¨Ìà welcomes all to our sacred Marian grotto, dedicated to the Blessed Mother, the university’s namesake. Students, faculty, friends, and the community are drawn to this place for prayer, reflection, deepening their faith, and drawing closer to the Lord.
The Warford Grotto, named for our principal benefactors Dr. John and Jenny Warford, is patterned after the famous grotto at Our Lady of Lourdes in France, where, in 1858, 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous encountered the Blessed Virgin É«»¨Ìà while gathering firewood. Investigations by the Catholic Church confirmed her visions; Soubirous was later canonized a saint.
At the É«»¨ÌÃ, the Warford Grotto is made of the area’s iconic fieldstone, with a special stone from the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, France, gifted to the university by Dr. Alessandro de Franciscis, president of the Medical Bureau of Lourdes. A lovely statue of É«»¨Ìà gazing serenely at us with her hands open warmly invites us to come before her.
When I’m in need – when the darkness of longing or desperation creeps in – I go to the grotto. I feel I’m home there, under É«»¨ÌÃ’s gaze.