Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos

Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos

 

The Black Madonna is a painting or sculptor of the Virgin Mary with darker skin hues. The darker color is attributed to centuries of exposure to candle smoke.

 

Bronislaus Luszcz, from the Polish Franciscan missionary,  built a shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa, the Polish Virgin Mary. He began by building a series of elaborate rock grottoes to Mary, Jesus, and various saints. His only tools were an axe and sledgehammer.

 

St. Francis of Assisi

The rock he used was Missouri tiff rock, which was  hauled in by dump truck from the mines in Potosi.  You can see other materials such as sea shells and costume jewelry that were contributed by visitors or sent from foreign missions.

 

There are statues within the grottoes that were sculpted by Charles Bendel.

 

After Bronislaus Luszcz died, there was no one else to carry on this work of art so the Grottos remain as he left them.

 

Open air chapel

The property has an open air chapel where you can light a candle, kneel and say a prayer but there is no Pastor, as the last one has retired.

There is a gift shop and charitable donations are greatly appreciated.

 
Cake artist - Craig Downs

 

Fifty-two down one hundred ninety-eight to go.