6 Fascinating Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Grotto of the Redemption in Iowa

Father Paul Dobberstein began the project in 1912, after he spent the prior decade collecting all the gems and precious stones. He worked on the grotto for over 42 years, until his death, when his successor Father Greving took over construction. Father Greving worked on the Grotto for another 50 years until its completion.

It all began after Father Paul Dobberstein became critically ill with pneumonia. As he fought for his life, he prayed to the Virgin Mary to restore his health, and he promised to build a shrine in her honor if he lived. The illness passed, and he kept his word.

The scenes include: the Trinity Grotto, St. Michael the Archangel, Garden of Eden or "Paradise Lost," The Ten Commandments, The Stable in Bethlehem, The Christmas Chapel, The Grotto of Nazareth, Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, The Garden of Gethsemane, The Stations of the Cross, Calvary, The Entombment of Jesus, and The Resurrection. The Grotto tells the story of man's fall, and his redemption through Christ.