Special
The 138th annual Novena to St. Anne is July 17-26
Guest Columnist
LA. They are under the canopy leading to the dining room.
Father Michael Bergeron
The 138th annual Novena to St. Anne will be conducted this month at one of the most historic places in Thibodaux, the Calvary-Grotto Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes in the St. Joseph Cemetery. In 1865, Peré Charles M. Menard, pastor of St. Joseph Church since 1845, planted two rows of oak trees behind the old St. Joseph Church which was located where the white granite mausoleum in front of the cemetery is now located. The oaks formed an alley from the back of the church to the site where the grotto was to be built. Stations of the Cross were purchased to be placed on the oak trees. The Stations were never put up, but they still exist today. They can be seen at Manresa Retreat Center in Convent,
Father Menard states in his early records of the church, that by 1883, it was time to begin work on the grotto. The first step was to bring in 2,400 cartloads of dirt to form a hillock 17 feet high. Bricks were used to build the grotto. A statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was purchased, and on Dec. 16, 1883, Father Menard conducted a service of blessing and placing of the statue in the grotto. There was a solemn procession and singing of the Magnificat.
48 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • July 2021
In 1884, the pastor purchased, from the House of Verrbout in Paris, a Calvary group consisting of “ ... a Jesus Christ crucified, a sorrowful Mother, St. John and St. Mary Magdalene in cast iron painted the color of stone.” Father Menard described the figures in this way: “ ... the execution of the anatomy of the Christ is remarkable. The Blessed Virgin is striking in her expression of extreme sorrow ... filled with superhuman resignation ... St. John is full of faith and love ... St. Mary Magdalene is remarkable in her attitude of meditation and repentance which is expressed in her whole being ... This group is a real masterpiece. I doubt that there is one similar in all of North America ... .”
Blessing of the Calvary was held on Oct. 8, 1884, by the Most Rev. Leray, Archbishop of New Orleans. Over 2,000 persons were present for the ceremony. Among those present was a 35-member band from the Thibodaux Fire Companies.
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