The Ave Maria Grotto is located on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey. The Abbey was founded in 1891. The Grotto consists of 125 small stone and cement structures made by Brother Joseph Zoetl, O.S.B., a monk of the Abbey for almost 70 years. The first miniature replica was built in 1912 and his last was in 1958 when he was 80 years old. Brother Joseph in 1892 came to the newly founded abbey where his monastic life was spent in prayer and in laboring in the Abbey power house. When not busy shoveling coal into the furnaces, he took time to construct miniature buildings using stone, concrete, and unwanted donated materials. Of all the replicas constructed, he had seen only six: those in his home town of Landshut, Bavaria and those at St. Bernard Abbey. All the others were constructed from photographs or from printed descriptions. During the Christmas season they add lights and you can visit during the evenings, so Ed and I decided to visit both during the day and evening. These pictures are from both visits. What a beautiful and peaceful place.
Bethlehem cave
