In the east of the province of North Brabant lies Mariahout, which belongs to the municipality of Laarbeek. The Lourdes grotto and the procession park are located at Mariastraat 25, near the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The history… Pastor Jacques van Eijndhoven is a devotee of Mary and promised Mary he would build a Lourdes grotto upon his appointment as pastor of Mariahout. He wishes to have this realised quickly, once the church is ready, which is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. This church was consecrated on 10 July 1933.
The Lourdes Grotto is a substantial structure, measuring a remarkable 25 metres wide and 10 metres high. Due to its size, construction and layout, the grotto is a very faithful replica of the one in Lourdes, France. For example, the French railings have been recreated and there is a fountain with three taps. On the marble plate of the water dispenser is inscribed: ” Allez boire – À la fontaine – et vous y laver”, which means: “Go and drink at the spring and wash yourself there”. The date of these words from Mary, 25 February 1858, is also added. To the left of the structure is a collection of crutches, providing evidence of miracles for disabled people. To the right of the grotto, a low wall has been built. This is the Wailing Wall, with a small stone from the actual grotto of Lourdes. Also present, as in Lourdes, is a large candle stand next to the grotto, as well as an altar and a pulpit. The statue of Mary in the niche of the grotto stands about four metres high. This effigy, with its halo, is approximately two metres tall and is carved from French sandstone, giving the statue of Mary a weight of 700 kilograms. The colours of the statue are the same as in Lourdes, with blue and white clothing, golden roses on her bare feet, and a silver rosary with golden links. In Mary's halo is inscribed in French: “Je suis Immaculée Conception”, or “I am the Immaculate Conception”. Beneath the statue of the Blessed Virgin, the text is inscribed, which is also present in Lourdes. In the local dialect of Lourdes, this is “Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou”.
The Lourdes grotto was consecrated on 30 May 1935. Later, the grotto fell into disrepair, but remarkably, the statue of Mary remained untouched. A plan was devised for the reconstruction of the Lourdes grotto. This was carried out by an entrepreneur with the help of many volunteers. This made the reconstruction financially feasible. First, the ruins of the old grotto were cleared, and the new grotto rose in the same place. The grotto was rebuilt in 1997. On 30 May 1999, exactly 64 years after the consecration of the previous grotto, the new Mary's Place was reconsecrated.
The first part of the procession park was laid out in 1933 with the Way of the Cross. Statues of Mary and Bernadette are also located here. The crucifix on Golgotha (1933), the statues of Mary (1935), and the effigy of Bernadette (1935) have been designated as national monuments.
The Lourdes Grotto and procession park in Mariahout are gems to visit and admire.
