Carrying the light of faith across generations

The shrines and grottoes we are blessed to have in our diocese bring much more to us than their pretty stones, sturdy statues and impressive mason work. They bring the light of faith to us, and to our children and grandchildren. They carry the beauty of Catholicism and the courage of its devotees have brought down through the generations in a uniquely meaningful way.

According to Noel Wax, former parish administrative assistant for three parishes of St. Lawrence in Flasher, St. Gertrude in Raleigh and St. Theresa in Carson, “Places like these give family members opportunities to share special memories and aspects of their faith with one another,” she says. “They give grandmas and grandpas a chance to tell stories to their grandchildren. I had two lovely grandmas growing up, and they were both really good at getting out old photo albums and telling important stories of family and faith.”
           
By carrying the torch of faith from generation to generation, we bring the Light of Christ to all nations, beginning with those we know and love the most.
           
“We need to take time to be with our older people,” Noel said. “We need to get them to start talking because they sure have a lot of great things to share! Being with them can build up our faith as well as our family ties. We need to go to Mass and pray the rosary together as families as well. We should teach our little ones what the Catholic faith is all about, and show them simple, special things like how to light a votive candle to intercede for others. We also really need to revive the tradition of bringing children over to shrines and grottoes to pray.”
           
Such a sacred place is the Shrine of the Mother of God in Flasher, which was built in 1954 by Fr. Poettdens from the Netherlands.
           
“The shrine is very well done,” said Fr. Biju Antony, Parochial Administrator of the parishes of St. Lawrence, St. Theresa and St. Gertrude. “The statue of Mary is similar to that of Our Lady of Fatima. The steps to the shrine are actually the cement steps to the old church which had burned down in the 1940's—those were the only things that were left standing. The rest of the shrine was crafted from petrified wood taken from the Badlands as well as rose quartz, clear quartz and mica stones hauled here from the Black Hills.”
           
And like many sacred places, it tells a lovely, inspiring story—a story of the courage and perseverance of our faithful ancestors.
           
“When the immigrants came here to settle during WWII, they suffered from a lot of drought and sickness,” Fr. Biju Antony said. “They practiced many Catholic devotions, which they relied on for protection from natural calamities and disasters. These prayers were very important to them. They had a great love for Mary as well, and truly desired to be devoted to her in their hearts. In fact, at that time, Marian devotion was spreading all over the world; there were lots of miracles happening in Lourdes, Fatima and in Mexico.”
           
Formerly, the Shrine of the Mother of God was located near a parish school, which is no longer there.
           
“All of the school children were encouraged to be devoted to Mother Mary,” Fr. Biju Antony noted. “Before Mass, they offered a rosary, and at times they would walk over to the grotto and pray it together there as well. This helped to keep them rooted in their Catholic faith.”
           
Importantly, shrines such as this one nurture a profound Marian spirituality in a memorable way in the souls of all who are blessed to encounter them.
           
“This shrine has helped to keep the faith alive throughout the years,” Fr. Biju Antony said. “It has really handed down a love and reverence for the Blessed Mother. It reveals the mystery of Mary to people in a way they can understand. The person closest to Jesus was Mary, so we need to grow closer to her if we want to grow closer to Jesus. Mary was God's own mother; that is why she has been honored with the title of Mother of God. Those who love Mother Mary will receive special blessings from the Lord.”
                 
Over time, the Shrine of the Mother of God has been worn down, but the wonderful news is that it likely won't stay that way for long. 
           
“It is such a beautiful grotto, and we wanted to fix it up,” Fr. Biju Antony said. “The renovation is scheduled to begin towards the end of this year and be finished in 2024. We are hoping to repaint the Blessed Mother statue. We want to keep it maintained to help bring Marian devotion back into people's lives. Anyone who comes to Flasher is welcome to come and see the grotto, not just those who are Catholics or parishioners.”
           
The Shrine of the Mother of God is a sort of “gem in the rough” among the prairie lands of our great state.
           
“It is falling into disrepair, and we want to change that,” Noel said. “It’s benches have grown too old. It is a hidden treasure—even to some of our parishioners. We really need to cherish it. Once or twice, I made a little pilgrimage out there just to be there and to appreciate it. It is great to know that we have something beautiful where we live in North Dakota, too. We don't necessarily have to leave our neighborhood to visit a pilgrimage site, because we have one right here where we are at.”
           
Although many of these precious, sanctified places across our beloved nation go largely unnoticed, unappreciated or untended, we have the opportunity to treat them differently. They are a very significant part of our Catholic heritage and if we use our time, talent and treasure to take care of them, we will help the Kingdom of God flourish in our midst.