The Grotto - Introduction

We thought it would be fitting to memorialize our little miscarried baby Mary Joseph by erecting a Grotto over her grave. And hey, no Catholic home is complete without a Grotto in honor of Our Blessed Mother! We started in May and finished it in October. I commissioned my brother Al to do the stonework as he has done quite a few in the last 10 years and has become quite a pro at it.

Below are 3 postings documenting the building of the Grotto.

The Grotto - Part I (Foundation and Material)

The first thing to do when building a grotto is to make sure you have a good foundation. Since the ground expands and contracts quite a bit, it is imperative to lay a foundation to keep the grotto from cracking. I dug a semi-circular trench a foot deep and 6 inches wide and filled it with concrete. The next step was to gather the stone. Fortunately there was some in the front yard that the previous owners had used for edging around a flower bed. There was also native limestone laying around that had been dug out of the ground as well. So the cost for the grotto was minimal - only some bags of ready mix concrete.

Measure and mark...

Pour the concrete....

Gather the stone...

The Grotto - Part II (Laying the Stone)

Enlisting the services of my brother Aloysius (Latin for "One Who Builds Grottos While Drinking Beer"), the stone is ready to be laid. Al usually brought his family over on Sunday afternoons to do his magic. This was in June and July.

Al with his son Seth. Let's get started!

The first course.

With daughters Faith and Isabella looking on.

Need a beer?

Looking good.

Almost done.

Kid tested!

The Grotto - Part III (Landscaping)

Finally the Grotto is ready to be cleaned and landscaped. Al used muriatic acid and a wire brush to clean the stone of any concrete residue. This really made quite a difference and brought it to life. For the landscaping I used the remaining limestone for edging and had some left over gravel to cover the grotto floor. I transplanted 3 rose bushes and planted them behind the grotto so hopefully the vines and flowers will eventually cover the grotto. This was completed in October.

The little cross is Mary Joseph's grave marker. I think she is probably looking down at her family and smiling. The project lasted 6 months and we all had fun doing it. I'll have to wait until spring to plant more flowers!