Honoring the Holy Family

“See how Jesus, Mary and Joseph loved one another, all three, how happy they looked, with what kindness and gentleness they spoke to each other. In our little way, it must be the same.”
–St. Jeanne Jugan

Years ago, Leland Vetter went to visit his brother, Austin, (now Bishop Austin Vetter of the Diocese of Helena, Montana) when he was studying in Rome and he decided to bring some of the beauty and joy he experienced in the “Eternal City” back with him.
           
“I was so impressed by all of the bells I heard ringing in Rome that I decided I wanted to put up bell towers back here in North Dakota,” Leland said.
           
Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit was guiding other amazing plans in the works.
           
“At about the same time he was working on the bell tower idea, I happened to be up at St. John's Catholic Church in St. John by the Peace Gardens, and I saw a grotto there made out of field rock, similar to the type of stone found near our family farm,” said Leland's brother, Michael Vetter. “I took some photos of it, and I told Leland I thought we should build a grotto like it, to go along with the bell tower.”
           
Dedicated to the Holy Family

One great inspiration led to the next, and soon the building of Prairie Bells: Grotto of the Holy Family began. The Vetters desired to devote the grotto to the Holy Family; thus the groundbreaking ceremony for the grotto site took place in September of 1992, with its bell tower being raised on Dec. 28, the Feast of Holy Family (on the traditional calendar).
           
“The family is so important and sacred,” Michael said. “We wanted to do something really special to help keep families strong and keep them together. We hoped that the grotto could support families and show people that in many ways, our families mean everything—not just our individual families, but our parish and community families as well. This shrine was meant to be about all families, not just the Vetter family.”
           
Now, decades later, the shrine still stands strong, and the bells continue to ring out for God's greater glory, throughout the prairie and beyond, lifting the hearts of all. The shrine is located 16 miles east of Linton on Highway 13 and one mile north, on a well-maintained road, overlooking a farmstead that the Vetters refer to as “Vetterville” where several related families reside.
           
“Every so often you hear the bells ringing, so you know someone is visiting,” Michael noted.
           
Most importantly, the construction of the shrine took plenty of dedicated teamwork. The Vetters appreciated the help of many neighbors, relatives and friends in fashioning it.
           
“Once we got going on it, some of our aunts, uncles and friends started making donations to offset the costs,” Michael explained. “The field rock was gathered from area farms, and some of the farmers even brought rocks to the shrine themselves to incorporate into it. Many people other than our family members gave generously to it.”
           
Choosing the materials

Impressively, great care was taken in choosing the materials for the grotto.
           
“The bells came from area churches, all of which are now closed,” said Michael. “For example, two of them came from St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Zeeland. The floor was made from slate that came from India, and we had a cross engraved into it. I was interested in the fact that Jesus was separated from his family at about 12, so we found a statue from Italy that depicts Him at about that age.”
           
Providentially, the bell tower was completed in the summer of 1993, right before (now) Bishop Vetter's ordination to the priesthood for the Bismarck Diocese, which was conferred that year in June by Bishop John Kinney at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck.
           
“His first Mass was offered out at the family farm, and we were so glad we had the bell tower finished in time for it, though the grotto wasn't quite done yet,” Leland said. “We really wanted to do something to honor his ordination.”
           
Also, in union with God's plans, in 1994, the grotto was blessed by Bishop Kinney during the local Town and Country Celebration.
           
“Pope St. John Paul II had declared 1994 the 'Year of the Family,' and we wanted to reinforce that theme,” Michael said. “It is a blessed shrine, and therefore it is a sacred, holy place where people can come and pray to the Holy Family. When you go there, it is like you are going on a pilgrimage. Partying isn’t allowed at the shrine, and we make sure of that.”
           
Over the years, the Vetters have been very pleased to see how many people have benefited from the shrine’s presence in our diocese.
           
1,000 visitors a year

“It is a shrine for everyone, and a nice, quiet place for families to come and visit,” Leland said. “It has mature trees, and a picnic spot with places to sit. We have had about 1,000 visitors per year since it was built, and that was over 30 years ago! We have had visitors from all 50 states, and from all around the world. It is featured in various tour guides and books as well.”
           
According to Bishop Austin Vetter, the shrine is a tremendous spiritual gem “in the rough” that reminds us of God's goodness, mercy and truth.
           
“It is a beautiful shrine,” he remarked. “Its beauty is remarkable. It is a real testament and a sign of hope in a deeply troubled world. A shrine is an external sign of the internal reality of our faith. They are reminders to us of what it means. This shrine reminds us of the Holy Family's closeness to all families.”