Assignment Iowa Classics; West Bend Grotto; 102

If you should ever find yourself on Highway 15 in northwest Iowa you'll come upon the little town of West band the West band is like most little farm communities with one exception. It has a religious shrine of unique historical geological and architectural significance. The Grotto of the redemption. Began in 1912 by Father Paul Dover Stein. The work was continued after his death and is still going on. Tonight we'll find out what possesses a man to undertake such a labor and what possessed another man to carry it on. Presents. Assignment with Mary Jane O'Dell. Tonight. I look at the West bam grotto. The word grotto means cave. And it got its religious meaning because shepherds who were up in the mountains were sometimes unable to attend services in the valley and so they would

set up their altars in caves. But how did the world's largest grotto come to be located in West Bend Iowa and how did one man build what many consider to be the eighth wonder of the world. In. This grotto represents the largest collection of minerals and petrification concentrated in any one spot in the entire world. And they tell me that it's geological value is estimated at over two and a half million dollars. Over a hundred twenty five thousand visitors come here each year to see this shrine and many of them ask questions such as what was the origin and the inspiration of this work. How does the weather affect the grotto and what do you really hope to capture with this work. Well these questions are best answered

by the man who is carrying on Father dreams the grotto administrator father Louis graving. Now this group. Is called The Good salmon is a garden Lord went the night before he died he took with him Peter James and John. He had asked them to watch and pray. But of course we know what happened. They fell asleep. So we're going to have three statues of them with their back against the wall their eyes closed in sleep. Outside this grotto they're the only three people you see that will be a memorial because they fell asleep. Other grieving in order to understand the spiritual significance of this grotto and why it is out here in the midst of cornfields of course we have to talk about Father Paul whose dream it was who had the original inspiration. So when you tell us how this came about. Well I came to this country from Germany.

In eighteen hundred and ninety two. And. He went to St. Francis seminary had no walkie. And. A week previous to his ordination to the priesthood. He was a very sick young man and in the hospital. But he begged his doctor to allow him to be ordained with his class. And the doctor said Well OK but you write back to the hospital after the ceremony what he was ordained a priest and it turned out to be double pneumonia. This was in 1897. He didn't have the miracle drug that was there and he made a promise to a blistered mother that for the grace of health sometime in his lifetime he would build it right in her honor. He regained his health he was sent here to West Bend in 1890. And. When he came here a lot of the territory on which the grotto was located is actually a swamp.

And so he began to snake this is you see it. And by 1912 he had this thing properly landscapes so in fulfilment of that promise he was going to build the grotto the bliss of mother. And but people came and when they saw the nature of the work and they left a little donation to helping defray the cost and then you conceived the idea of turning in stone the whole story for which he had been ordained namely the fall of man and if you down there where the cross is actually a series of nine different grapples How did you start you know did he spend years collecting did he have a blueprint. How did you really start. Well. Only one of these materials himself when he first started this was in 1912. There weren't any rock star the whole of the United States. And he went on are

you going to miss them and do you mind if I get some of this material and help yourself. So he went in there with his little hammer and he really made it and it's really a happenstance that it happened to be in West Bend because that's where he was that's this is this is right is the grotto here because it was because he was in there. Would you describe father never started for us. You know your opinion of him. Well father was a little man and he went from one hundred thirty five hundred forty five pounds. A very wary sort of a person determine as the world goes that man is said to do something like this right and stick and when he do he made up his mind about something you just stick to it until it was finished that's all. This what strikes the person who comes here first of all is it Miss Dunning a moment. Individuals don't and rocks and for the most part he was the only one working on this for many many years

wasn't well he himself did most of the artistic work he had other men that helped him rough in the work and alter did some of the work on it. But for the most part I would say 80 percent of everything that is done by one. And this is was a basis in cement world to grant to itself is actually it's a structure that is made of ornamental rock. All of them set into cement. And it covers one city block. Well you must've been an expert in the cement. And in addition to other things. Oh yeah it was it was recognized as being one of the leading authorities on cement. The men just knew some men because first of all he'd say you've got to use cement if you're going to make it stick he said this and then but he cured it. And when I say cured it for a period of one week every mix cement and

little rocks into place every four or five hours you go up with a rubber hose and what his previous weaves were and when you do that you see you chemical reactions going in your cement with the result that you get one solid mass of cement that doesn't have an air hole dinner consequently no water can get into your cement you don't have to worry about the water freezing into ice and expanding and it's that's what cracks your cement. He worked on it for 56 58 years something like that. Yes he started in 1912 the actual grotto you know endorsing the he was a pastor and he did his other duties but this was his his real dream the real meaning to his life and I would have thought that at the beginning many people thought he was a little bit crazy. Many times he says they've said he says. He says What is that young man trying to do there at West Bend he says he's crazy he's got a great big hole in the ground because it was a gripping hold on the foundations of the original things go down 20 feet into the ground.

And here is drilling up this thing with some of this it is crazy you know. But now you said now you said after I'm dead and gone he says well he says they'll find out he says that maybe he says I wasn't as crazy as I was he says I won't hear it but it's so that doesn't make any difference he says as long as the story gets across that he was ahead of his time. He was unique. How would how would you see a head of his time. He was unique he was a man who was dedicated to being a priest and he was all priest you better believe it he was and he wanted to tell the story and he really put himself out to the cross and I think you see and personally put himself out to do it and he did it in this you know in the long run I mean you know you can be perfectly normal and do this. However there is no I was never more abnormal thinking aloud.

Some assistants were sent out to help and I know many of them lasted too long for various reasons I suspect that a man who was dedicated that strongly might have been difficult to work with at times but you were with him for eight years. Well alright so that's what is that you call that a fact of life. You want an explanation for the Lord. Well did you have the same. No I didn't know anything about drugs I came from a farm down here and one and I hated Roxy to pick them up and my dad would you know I was sent but I could see as a young priest I was sent here after my first mass within three days I came to West Bend as assistant rather the time was in the hospital and actually I was sent here as an assistant to him in the parish. But you know I saw the man's work and I could do it at that man's dedication and I could see it as a work of art.

So I'd pitch in and you know. You're around rocks long enough you see you could rub your head. What do you feel your contribution has been to the grotto because a father for 1954. I CAME IN forty six. So it was you. Well I knew his plan he didn't have any kind nothing of this on paper you see and we had grabbed her for because we'd have to put it on in the evening. So I knew his plan. And I tried to carry it out according to the plan I still haven't got any blueprints and I think how could you put this thing on a blueprint really. Be pretty difficult. But you know I don't want to be modest because you have made contributions. Well all right. The people that are dead that the work with father kept right on working for more non-supervisory

position than they were working. But what I did do is to father daughter stand. See there weren't any tours through the grotto now we have tours every hour on the hour. I put in the Tour system so that people not only see but they also hear the story. So we have tours beginning with Memorial Day you see. Right on through October 15 every hour on the sea. And. People are taking the tour and they really they really get the message and this is what I'm concerned about. This is November and there are still people Tory. Yes. Now how would you describe for us some of the various aspects of the grotto and the stations and what it really means in a religious sense. Well. It's a series of nine grottos. And. The fall of

man represented by Adam and Eve. Being being driven out of Perth. This is your basic. Then. The promise of the Redeemer. That was God's response to that. I promise I will put enmity between you. And a woman between your seed. That's your followers and her seed and usual language for the question. So Father doubleton put a plaque of the Immaculate Conception in the background of the grotto. So there is your promise then Mary gives us Redeemer becomes a reality now. Our God comes into the into the world then the grotto of a man on the Mount. Which gives the blueprint the plan. For our happiness. Then the grotto of the Ten Commandments which in which the young man asked Jesus What must I do to get to heaven.

And. The answer is if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments. You see the point of the Commandments of Moses Regardless you see of what people will say were the commandments are relevant or not. As you know Jane. You know. Then comes the door of the stations of the court. Because this is where Jesus goes into action as redeemer and these are 14 different scenes you know bastard Lords from the time that he was condemned to death until he was laid into the tomb with inspire devotion Bashan and his death. Now each one of the stations themselves the pictures are made up of little pieces of stone set together into a picture which is called the importer from Venice the Venetian. But you will notice that all of the stations are done up in this brown dress. All of them that is except the 12 station Jesus dies on the cross which is done up in white. And people will ask well why you know why. He went on redeem the

damage of sin was not repaired until I bless the Lord sacrifice was complete it was only after the Lord freely and willingly made him self a victim for sin in our behalf you see that the friendship of God was restored to us. That's what we mean by the redemption. So the white symbolizes out there and from sin at some one noise event of all time shown in the most glorious color the white. You see them finally of course is the is the grotto of the resurrection. And the tomb of a bliss of the Lord with an angel pointing to the tomb that says he is risen he is not here. And outside in the niche is a statue of the risen Savior with Mary Magdalen at its feet. Boney. M.. People use the word wonderful very freely. But this place is wonderful meaning it is full of wonder and it is extremely exciting to people who know know say nothing about any religion

whatsoever from a geological standpoint it's really incredible. How can you tell us how many different types of randomness are here. Well this is written up in geological circles as being the largest collections of minerals fossils and Sheldon concentrated in anyone's in the world. As of your logical valuable over two and a half million dollars and this is internationally known. From that point of view. But do you have any idea how many ages geological ages are represented here what is the oldest you know. Well of course this is very difficult to say because this petrified wood and is 50 million years and the formation of an egg all the way from a hundred million to do in a million years. And they get because the negatives once you see it do.

You know a hollow volcanic eruption then over a period of time you see the crack and then the mineral in the ground would see bin and that's where you get your band in the in the egg of itself and each one of these represents Iraq. I mean that's getting into the geology part but it's an interesting and I guess the question I know that everyone wonders the moment they walk in is. What does the weather all. We have very hard winters up here. Does the weather affect the grotto at all. Not too much. I wouldn't say that it doesn't affect it any because it it does because not all material is the same as the same with any power. But as far as the cement is concerned because as I said it's been cured. So there's very little damage actually. On the ground to itself by the weather. But some of the material. Yes it will because if it if

it's particular if it's porous but father daughter found again. The materials it was porous you know what it was you do very little with the thing that we have a little bit of that has some weathered picture and I may be wrong that would be out here working all hours sometimes maybe two or three in the morning or maybe two or three in the morning I don't know how to work room in the house in the wintertime just go to work room and work to hold you around. And many a time at two o'clock in the morning I hear that the with the little hammer you see and he was bitten and you had that little hammer time. I. Think it will. Think there. That this woman that he would have used. Well all for doing that hammer. He did that with his life because the hammer was actually this big. Look at how it just wore it down to

nothing. And this hammer particularly for the breaking of your crystal. This is the secret by the way of what every rock is set into cement. Yet you don't see any. Thing. Hardly any none at all. You've said that the total cost of this is something that would be known only to God. You know you just you know. When he would sometimes work until his fingers were bloody. Well this gives you a little bit of an idea of other builders. One time his finger the does bleed from sticking in these rubs and I said to him one time as a father said. You were only all for a couple days. Let those fingers you know. He looked at me and he said yeah father he said but there's no redemption without a little bit of blood.

And he was out there again the next day. You know. He lived this whole thing himself. For instance. He was laying the foundation of the Bethlehem graduate as a fifth of the Fifth. And. He was at the top of his voice. You Seen The Silent Night in German news you didn't even notice the people that were around this when whatever he was doing that was the subject of his meditation and this is a little bit of an idea of the kind of devotion and how that's what he was doing. He seemed to feel that that. Was more quickly reached than the ear. He said both he said both but he said you know he said seeing is believing. He often said that seeing is believing. Talk about audiovisual. You know you you really instituted the music and the chimes Didn't you hear.

Well yes yes. Because of the fact that. Rather rather than these people and then. People started taking rocks are they want to walk up to people and say. That's a commencement a lifetime doing this. I said. If after you see what he tried to express. You really feel that you want to rock you can take it. So if you come with me and let me give you. So I went on up and I spoke I didn't have a P.A. system or nothing and I think. 54 you see the thing I didn't get nothing in. So I spoke for $70 on the couch you see in the evening and I was all done up. I realize you see that the first prerequisite about being a missionary is to be alive. I'm going to put in a bit

more right and put in the music and the music creates an atmosphere of reverence. As a matter of fact you come here in the summertime even with thousands of people on the ground you hardly hear anybody speaking louder than in a whisper. Some other buildings here which are more than passing interest I would say certainly your rock then also would you talk about the building which in which souvenirs ourselves because inside is outside is the outside of that. And instead it's a 62 with 50 structure and all the walls are and polished agates. I've been putting in publishing editor men. For for 16 years that sort of represent just to. Put in policies I get from Brazil and from all over the world. But do you see. How do I get those materials. To people no business is a big business when they when they see me coming in.

And. Bite on this. Well that's one of the things like anything that. Not only are they able to go through the rock the rock display the rock display studio the outside of it is is made up of ornamental rock just like the grotto itself but inside I have specimens of the materials that are in the grotto itself where I give a geological lecture to school groups of the many many school groups. Where we give the explanation of what these routes where they come from something about the particle. Again it's wonderful. And. Somehow or another you see I can get these people to see. Because you see it's God's world and when the

world bridges. Because Nancy is wonderful. I've read a booklet about. The guy that claimed no miracles or anything how do you feel about that. Personally. I don't mean that the whole thing is miraculous in the way it was built I mean do I suppose some people come perhaps are going to be cured of something. Well. We haven't we have no canonical claims of miracles and yet. We had someone. Who was cured and their greedy condition and joy she. Originally came I don't even have her name to the point if the Lord wants to work a miracle. That's your business. We're going to do it in your own way. But this this lady called originally from the Philippines a gritty condition. This is what her husband and she told him.

And she put her hands on the Lord and did Simmons and said you can do it if you want. And. I never saw they came and reported I never saw anybody so happy. No hands or thing in our interest really want to make clear that this is her person in this room if you want to put it that you know but the inspiration that people get. Yes sure the Lord can do it if he wants to. Hear you doing it in places like the Lord and what. Do you. What do you feel that that people who live in West Bend What is their perception of the grotto now. Well everybody in West Bend is proud of the ground because for the grotto is.

So people are pleased to have been. It's a small town one of about a thousand. Growing pains. I can just visualize I can visualize what is what is going to happen 10 years from now. We had. 50 buses registered through here bus loads during the month of May alone and it's grown even bigger and I want I've got growing pains now I've had growing thin for the last 10 years and just coming now I have one more question and that is simply this. When people come to your grotto What is it that you hope they will take away from it. What is it that you hope they will feel inside about it. Yes. I hope that they will come. With reverence and just look. And listen.

And open themselves up to the message that comes. And if they will see the life of Christ exemplified. As they had never seen it before. Not only in the stone. But in the people like us and all the people that work here on the ground. Smile. And the devotion. Of living this life of Christ not only in strong but it has lived in their own mind in their own feeling so that everybody just sort of radiates something and joy and radiates that that that the life of Christ that they will that they will see that it is not just something that is COLGAN But something that is real. And that is something that they can touch in the life of people if they can. If I can get this. Then the message of Jesus is alive and Jesus is. His hope.