Discovering a sanctuary in an urban environment is always a treasure. Whether a garden or quiet lobby, city dwellers appreciate a space for reflection in the midst of a busy landscape. It’s not often that you stumble on a religious sanctuary outside of the expected locations like church grounds or cemeteries. However, Louisville is home to a hidden grotto in an apartment complex.
Urban Sanctuary
The Grotto and Garden of Our Lady of Lourdes is a serene outdoor space in the St. Joseph neighborhood, set back from the street just off busy Eastern Parkway. It shares a parking lot with an apartment complex, but seemingly nothing else.
A brick boundary surrounds the grotto and a stone path guides visitors through the rustic garden to the altar. The garden is full of gorgeous blooms in the spring and summer, although they hadn’t yet sprouted on my visit.
Walk through the grotto and you’ll notice fourteen insets on the brick wall featuring the stations of the cross. Markers dot the flowerbeds remembering those who once tended them. But who founded the garden, and why here?
Divine Inspiration
The grounds were once home to an St. Joseph’s Infirmary, a 325-bed hospital that prompted development in the area. In 1927, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth dedicated the grotto for silent prayer and meditation for infirmary patients, visitors, and staff.
The grotto’s design was inspired by the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. It was believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl named Bernadette at the cave in 1858. Thus, the Louisville altar features a cave-like structure of stone and rubble.
D.X. Murphy and Brothers, Architects designed the grotto – the same team who designed the Churchill Downs Grandstand and twin spires! It’s the only grotto shrine in Jefferson County.
“…as nearly like the famous shrine in France as could be made,
and is built into the side of a little knoll…”
– St. Joseph’s Infirmary hospital records
Unexpected Solace
Although the infirmary was sold in the 1970’s and later replaced by the apartment complex, the grotto thankfully remains. The Saint Joseph’s Area Association recruited area residents, known as the “Grotto Grannies and Grandpas,” to restore and tend to the garden.
Tucked away from the traffic breezing down the parkway, you take in the names on the memorial markers and the garden blooming after all these years. This little patch of quiet is unexpected and moving.
Nearly a century later after its creation and divorced of its original context, the Sisters’ garden is still a place of meditation in an unusual location. Thanks to its State Historic Landmark designation in 2001, the grotto will continue to provide solace to visitors for years to come.
Thanks to Kevin Gibson for recommending this secret spot. Check out his book Secret Louisville!
The Grotto and Gardens of Our Lady of Lourdes
2207 James Pirtle Ct.
Louisville, KY 40217
Sources
- Staff. “Excerpt: ‘Secret Louisville: The Hidden Prayer Grotto’.” Insider Louisville, Insider Louisville, 9 Mar. 2017.
- Weeter, Joanne. “The Grotto and Garden Of Our Lady of Lourdes At the Old St. Joseph’s Infirmary Site.” Saint Joseph’s Area Association, 5 Apr. 2001.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
