Good Grotto!!!

A friend suggested that when I was passing though Cullman, Alabama, I should stop in and check out the Ave Maria Grotto, which was, as it was related to me to be some sort of monastery and retreat, world famous for miniatures of religious shrines. Only a fraction of a mile off the beaten path, I decided to check it out.
I left the busy highway into Cullman, and within a few hundred feet the sound of trucks and cars and civilization disappeared. A trickling, running water sound began to be heard and got louder as I walked further toward the grotto. I thought to to myself, “What a serene and peaceful place” and as I looked at the neatly manicured grass along the roadside, and searched for the source of the water’s song, I realized something.
Years ago I went to concerts all the time. Loud, soft, in between, it didn’t matter. I love music and went to hundreds of shows. At one show in Poughkeepsie in 1975, I stupidly went as close to the stage to see Bruuuuuce Springsteen as I could, and it was so loud that I could not hear after the show. The following morning, I woke up to find blood on my pillow from my ear, and as the years have progressed I have developed tinnitus, a sound that is like the distant, low volume shrill of crickets or frogs. It is constant and unceasing and at some point years ago I realized that I would never hear the sounds of silence again, just the shrill whistle and tones.
Now, as I located the source of the water sounds, I realized that for the first time in over ten years the ringing in my ears had stopped. It was so eerie that it almost literally took my breath away, and it was beautiful and powerful. There is much to recommend when it comes to silence.
That was only the first surprise of the day for me. When I finally reached the grotto I discovered that there was an admission charge, and I had just spent my last money, so I was about to leave when a woman who works at the gift shop called to me and told me that I could just go on in. I thanked her and asked her about the grotto.
A monk named Brother Joseph Zoetl, who lived at the monastery, St. Bernard Abbey, for almost 70 years, had created 125 miniature replicas of religious shrines and scenarios from history, and they had been arranged beautifully in the woods in such a way as to maximize their impact.
I was expecting something like that which one would see at a college or high school art show, but what I discovered was an incredible display of virtuousity and creativity. Not only were the buildings beautifully constructed (it should be noted that Br. Zoetl used discarded materials much of the time) but in addition, imagination and creativity had been used to make them interesting to see, and not just for their architectural accuracy. (See my pic of the actual basilica at Knock and compare it to Brother Zoetl’s creation)Beautiful does not begin to describe the grotto and its wonderful contents.
Leaving the grotto with a camera full of pictures, I suddenly was overcome with a sense of real peace, the first I have had in a long time. The atmosphere, my sudden hearing improvement, the peaceful waters flowing, really sunk in, and it felt good. I felt calmer, more focused…more alive.
I am not religious. I don’t believe in God, but I do believe in the healing power of nature, the healing power of love and in the goodness of people, no matter their faith, or lack of faith. I believe in art, and think that creating something beautiful for others to enjoy is a religious experience in and of itself. What Brother Zoetl created on the grounds of St Bernard Abbey was indeed a religious experience for me, and I will treasure the knowledge that I was fortunate to have a friend recommend it, sight unseen, to me. It has been the amazing highlight of my walk so far and I am at a loss for words to really explain why. Sadly, my tinnitus has returned but the short time I was able to hear silence was…priceless.
Note: I have uploaded many pictures to my facebook page. The link is http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1963703488781.2117244.1128666472
and you don’t have to be on Facebook to enjoy my albums. I keep my page open for all to see.