Donate to the Grotto Restoration Project
To donate to the Grotto Restoration Project, you can either fill out the form below to donate securely by credit card, or else, send a check to:
Dominican Nuns
543 Springfield Ave
Summit, NJ 07901
with “Grotto Restoration” in the memo line.
History of the Grotto
The outside of the grotto, beautifully landscaped in later years
Shortly after the foundation of our monastery in Summit, a group of women surprised the Sisters by coming here on pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Rosary. These women predicted that more would come, and friends started suggesting an official, public pilgrimage. As this was a way of promoting devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary, the sisters were in favor of the idea, and permission was sought and obtained from the bishop. There was at that time no place to receive pilgrims, since the permanent monastery had not yet been built and the Sisters were living in a old mansion, with the foyer converted into a very small public chapel. The Sisters therefore also obtained permission to build, at one end of a nice expanse of lawn, a small, circular, field-stone chapel as the pilgrimage shrine. This chapel, known as the grotto, was completed just in time for the first public pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Rosary, in the United States, held here on May 22, 1921. The grotto was dedicated during the pilgrimage.
A procession from an early pilgrimage leaves the grotto
The grotto continued to receive pilgrims through the years. The ceremonies for the larger pilgrimages, such as those of May and October, were held on the lawn in front of the grotto, but every Sunday there was an extern sister present in the grotto to welcome whomever might come, receive prayer requests, and encourage those facing trials. There were many reports of miracles obtained at the shrine, and countless favors received.
In 1925 work was begun on a large, European-style chapel and monastery that would be able to properly accommodate both the large crowds of pilgrims and the growing (and crowded) community of nuns. In 1926 a lower or crypt chapel was dedicated, but work was then halted due to accumulated debt. Construction resumed in 1938, though toward a much more modest goal, and in June of 1939 the sisters were finally able to move into their new home. The large public chapel was dedicated in September of that year.
With these developments the main site for pilgrimages had moved away from the grotto, but for a number of years it was still open on Sundays. By 1949, however, it seems that it was no longer regularly open and that the extern sisters were only present to welcome visitors in the new building. The grotto was renovated and reopened in time for the 1964 May pilgrimage, but by 1967 this attempt to again have it open to the public had been abandoned. In 1991, when the enclosure wall was being repaired, the enclosure was expanded to take in the grotto so that the nuns at least could use it as an oratory. The grotto was cleaned, painted, and arranged accordingly, but after a few years the sisters stopped using it since the humidity had once more given it a depressing, run-down appearance. In its current dilapidated condition, it is no longer able to be used as a place of prayer.
The Restoration Project
At the consecration of the Rosary Shrine’s new addition in 2018, an historic discovery was made by a few visitors who were walking the beautiful grounds. The group came upon an unusual structure that was clearly in need of major repair. The building was of historic prominence because it was the original Rosary Shrine, where pilgrimages were made and was a place of silent prayer and inspiration. All agreed that such an historic structure and site were worthy of and should be renovated to its original and extraordinary condition. These visitors approached the community and asked if they could form a committee to initiate fundraising for such a project.
Prisco Contracting, the builder of the beautiful addition to the Monastery, has offered to restore the Grotto building to give the Nuns a special place for meditation and silent prayer. The estimated cost of the restoration would be approximately $100,000, which includes addressing problems due to lack of maintenance, excavation for electrical apparatus, electricity, HVAC, painting, restoring front door, and miscellaneous items.
Several of our dear friends are committed to participating in the restoration process and have formed The Grotto Restoration Committee. We and they hope that you would also wish to join them in support of this project. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. You can donate by online credit card, or by mailing a check. The project is expected to begin in April or May.