Grotto of Lourdes

Created in 1805 by Father John DuBois, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, located behind Mount Saint Mary College and Seminary, is a replica of the famed Grotto of Lourdes in France and is the oldest such shrine in America. A place of pastoral beauty and spiritual inspiration, the Grotto draws approximately 500,000 religious pilgrims and tourists annually.

Above the lovely valley of Emmitsburg, situated high on the mountainside where nature displays itself in all its wild and picturesque glory, sits the National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes, a shrine that traces its linage to the very beginnings of the spread of Catholicism in America.

Indelibly linked with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the Shrine is one of the oldest American replicas of the revered French shrine, dating from about two decades after the apparitions at Lourdes (1875)--although the site had been known for its earlier "Grotto," which had already been in use for more than seventy years as a place of prayer and devotion.

This holy mountain sanctuary of historic importance has been devoutly tended through the years as a place of prayer and meditation for all people. People of all religions are welcome to visit and take a leisurely stroll through the paths of the beautiful flora, sculptures, and mosaic artistry. Your experience will be truly a breathtaking one and you will leave the grounds refreshed and invigorated both physically and spiritually.