LAKE STATION – The restoration of the St. Francis Xavier Marian Shrine on the parish grounds was a three-year process. To celebrate and honor the labor of love that many past and present generations of faithful have devoted to the renewed grotto and give gratitude to the Blessed Mother, the parish held an outdoor, bilingual Mass, prayer service and potluck on Sept. 13.
“We are blessed that we have this grotto,” said longtime parishioner and Knights of Columbus member Juan Trujillo, father of eight children, including two of the altar servers for the evening. “It’s a place that we feel is holy, and we can go there to give our Mother our prayers and petitions. We’re happy to see the reactions of everyone.”
Prayer and contemplation have been precisely its purpose since the grotto was first built and dedicated in 1959. With the recent restoration, a new pathway with over two-hundred engraved memorial bricks was laid; the tall, metal cross above the grotto was updated and made more visible; and four new benches – each one donated by a family of the parish – were installed, giving adequate seating in the prayerful garden setting.
The site of the shrine has brought many peaceful times to St. Francis parishioners and serves as a focal point for the resting place of some of its oldest members who lie beneath headstones, as stated in the program booklet.
“This will continue to be a place of comfort, prayer and consolation,” said Father Jaime Perea, who acquired the project from the previous pastor, Father David Kime. The grotto, Father Perea explained, invites people to seek Mary and “to feel her love and her comfort, especially in times of trouble.”
Peace, love, comfort and consolation – these restorative feelings were sought after by one visiting priest, Father Kumud Nayak of the Diocese of Madison, who concelebrated the Grotto Restoration Mass. In his homily, Father Nayak shared details of his background in Russia as a Brother in the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord and his connection to the local Marian shrine.
“How many tears I have spent in front of Mary,” Father Nayak said. “This place for me became a resting place, a place of contemplation … for when you are overwhelmed, you go to your mother.”
Father Nayak went to the Blessed Mother Mary often, he said, and it is his belief that she interceded for him in his vocation to the priesthood. He described it “a miracle” that he is a priest here in the United States because at a time when he was required to return to Russia, he took a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin, the first and only approved Marian apparition site in America.
“I was worried, sad and broken,” Father Nayak said of his mental and emotional state at the time. “I wanted to teach, preach and be with the people.” Harboring this overwhelming desire to become a priest at 45 years of age, he asked Our Lady of Help to “make it happen or let him move on and get married,” as he joked. Father Nayak was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 7, 2020, during the pandemic.
“How are you doing with your faith?” This question, posed by Father Nayak, encouraged the faithful to assess their own devotion, comparing it not with one’s neighbor, a brother or sister in Christ, rather with their own lives. “Have you grown in your faith, prayed a little more, grown up a little more with Mother Mary?” he asked. He then continued stating that problems – financial, physical, family, etc. – make things look impossible.
“Take your broken heart to her. Have her bring your aches, pains and problems to Jesus,” he said, adding that Mother Mary will plead with her son to “please, look” at him or her who is suffering and needing help. “Remember that nothing is impossible with the grace of God.”
The Knights of Columbus provided an honor guard for the Grotto Restoration Mass. Two Knights also escorted those carrying the bread and wine to the altar to be consecrated.
The St. Francis Xavier choir sang a number of beautiful Marian and Spanish hymns, including “Hail Mary: Gentle Woman” and “Pan de Vida.”
A handful of children from the parish’s religious education program presented white carnations prior to the congregation reciting the Rosary together with special intentions for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
“It was very nice,” said Naomi Mendez, parishioner and member of the youth group and Carmelite ladies. Seeing her parish community coming together in this way awed her. “It’s such beautiful work, you can see that our Mother is very, very happy with it. There’s so much peace, so much joy….You can feel that she [Mary] is here for us.”
Maria Teresa Mendez liked the service as well and was pleased with her contribution to the grotto’s restoration. “The contribution was very small, but every piece made a big contribution from everyone,” Naomi Mendez said, translating for her mother. “She is very happy with it.”
“Many families were incredibly dedicated to the project,” Father Perea said, expressing his gratitude. Some parishioners additionally gave their time, talent and physical labor as part of their contribution. He noted that those who owned construction companies – namely, Ayala Construction, Inc. and Agreda’s Concrete – did their work at no cost to the parish.
In the coming weeks, landscape lighting will be mounted alongside the curved pathway, essentially illuminating the walk to the Blessed Mother to complete the restoration project.
Caption: The Mendez family, parishioners since 2017, pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary. “There’s so much peace, so much joy….You can feel that she [Mary] is here for us," said Naomi Mendez.