At Prins Bernhardlaan 66 in Bergen op Zoom stands the Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The church was built between 1926 and 1928 and is a national monument. However, the church suffered considerable damage at the end of the Second World War, resulting in the destruction of the Lourdes Grotto. What is remarkable, however, is that the statue of Mary and that of Bernadette Soubirous escaped the destruction. On 27 October 1944, the day Bergen op Zoom was liberated by the Canadians, the church tower was destroyed by soldiers of the occupying forces. Shortly before the explosion of the church tower, both statues were moved to safety by local residents after they had obtained permission from the German military.
In the Our Lady of Lourdes Church, the Lourdes Grotto stands at the back of the church, against the south wall, near the entrance and exit. This grotto is in a separate space, which can also serve as a daily church. The statue of Mary is 134 cm high and that of Bernadette measures 70 cm. The materials used for the statues are concrete and cement. A stone from the Grotto of Lourdes in the South of France is attached to the wall of the Lourdes Grotto. The date of its incorporation into the wall is 15 August 1920. Years earlier, this stone was brought from Lourdes by Father Jos de Meulemeester (1886-1921).
The Lourdes Grotto and the church are visited daily by many people, and numerous candles are constantly burning at the statue of Mary.
