A Lourdes grotto has stood in Zevenhoven since 1913. The village belongs to the municipality of Nieuwkoop and is located in the province of South Holland.
The cave is located behind the monumental Church of St. John the Baptist, built in 1835.
The 6-metre high grotto was built following the intended pilgrimage to Lourdes by the pastor and his two housekeepers. Ultimately, only the pastor makes the pilgrimage to Lourdes in the south of France. The pastor then conceives the plan to build a Lourdes grotto for people who cannot make the long journey to the south of France. The statue of Lourdes was made in 1913 and proves to be a faithful copy of the original statue of Mary in Lourdes. The statue of Mary stands in the upper right-hand niche of the grotto, which is constructed from rough rock blocks from the Ardennes.
A candle burns next to the statue of visionary Bernadette Soubirous, with her eyes made up, which is not common in the Netherlands and Belgium.
In the nave, an altar has been made from brickwork.
The Lourdes Grotto in Zevenhoven is a popular place to encounter Mary; every day people come to the grotto to pray, light a candle, and reflect. Benches have been placed for this purpose.
The Lourdes Grotto was restored in 1977 and a raised platform was created for the grotto.
At the grotto, there is a commemorative stone for 100 years of the Lourdes Grotto 1913-2013. On 23 October 2013, this stone was blessed by Theodorus Cornelis Maria (Ted) Hoogenboom (*1960), auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Utrecht since 2010, in remembrance of 100 years of the Lourdes Grotto in Zevenhoven.
Every year on 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, there are events by the grotto, including a Eucharist celebration.
Near the well-maintained grotto is a 2002 quiet garden. Behind the church is also a cemetery.
Address: Noordeinde 28, 2435AG Zevenhoven.
~~~
Nederlands 
English (UK) 
Deutsch 
Français