Welcome to Jasper, a bustling little city in southwestern Indiana.

But just one block off of the main drag, there is one place where everything seems to slow down a little bit.

just that serenity that you feel when you're on these grounds.

It's, you know, we've been watching cars drive by the street since we've been standing here, but you don't really hear them.

You don't pay attention to ‘em.

Nancy Eckerle and her sister Connie Yaggi, literally grew up across the street from these grounds.

Known to them and to the rest of the community as the Mother of God Grotto.

It's a special place for their community for a variety of different reasons, but you can see the main ones sticking out almost everywhere.

Geodes.

Thousands upon thousands of Indiana geodes.

It's the kind of stone that looks like a brain, and when you crack it open, it looks like a crystal All different colors.

Most of them are about palm size.

I'm not geologist, and I don't know how they're formed.

I think, as a kid growing up, we took it for granted.

you know, it's just a place unlike any, anywhere else.

A lot of people come here to pray and, just to sit and reflect and meditate.

Tim Bell grew up here as well.

Now he's part of the group that helps preserve and protect the grotto, the stones, and their history.

Which can be tough sometimes, considering all of this was built without any known plans.

There's a lot here that we just We don't know.

We may never know.

Its construction was described with a simple phrase No blueprints, only inspiration.

Everywhere you look in the grotto, you'll see donated material.

Geodes, seashells, old marble and tile, and even what appears to be a few unused tombstones.

He would incorporate, especially on the walking path, as much flat material as he could find, you know, and then but most of the walls and everything else are built with geodes.

He was Father Phillip Ottavi, the driving force behind the Mother of God Grotto.

Father Ottavi was the administrator of the Old Providence Home here in Jasper back in the 50s and 60s.

That home, cared for both elderly and disabled men for over 80 years.

and was managed by a Catholic order called the Sons of Divine Providence.

I think my mom kind of befriended him, and you probably don't remember that, but he would occasionally bring us, coffee cake that he had probably made in the bakery at the old Providence Home.

Father Ottavi's reason for building the grotto is a big reason why so many people, like all of the ones currently arriving on this tour bus, visit the Mother of God Grotto every year.

These shrines were built to help visitors heal and find peace, which is something Father Ottavi himself was looking for.

You see, as a young Italian boy over 100 years ago, Phillip Ottavi survived the unthinkable the loss of his entire family to a massive earthquake.

He was buried in rubble for 2 or 3 days.

and when he got out, a local orphanage took him in.

That orphanage was operated by the Sons of Divine Providence and Ottavi eventually joined their ranks as an ordained priest.

As part of his mission, the now Father Ottavi spent his adult life helping others and made his way all the way here to Jasper, Indiana.

But the tragedy from his childhood was something he brought with him.

it's just a traumatic story from his end.

But then what a beautiful thing he did to overcome that fear.

He wanted to be able to heal his past pain from being in the earthquake.

Father Ottavi decided to take those memories and build something beautiful.

With the help of some of the able men he cared for at the home, volunteers, and donations, Father Ottavi spent the next decade building not one but two religious shrines out of geodes, one on the north side of the home, the other on the south.

Wall by wall.

Rock by rock.

They were literally working their faith into the concrete.

The statues, sidewalks, lights, benches, flower pots, all were added over time to help craft this handmade place of healing for everyone in the community.

Growing up, we didn't know the story of Father Philip and the earthquake and why he built this.

And he did this to, bring serenity to himself.

Thankfully, Father Ottavi was able to see the fruits of his labors start to blossom.

He passed away just a few years after the Mother of God Grotto was opened to the public.

over the next 50 years, the shrines he built withstood the test of time and all of nature's elements.

Catholic masses, weddings, ceremonies, All were held here for everyone in the community.

Over time, though, the biggest threat the grotto would wind up facing turned out to be progress itself.

Ten years ago, the Sons of Divine Providence stopped operating in the area and then moved away.

The Providence home was put on the market.

There was a real fear that these would just be torn down and, you know, plowed under and maybe something else built here.

you would hate to see that completely gone.

The shrines had been Father Ottavi's gift to the community.

Now the community decided it was time to give something back.

Kind of got wind that they were going to sell the four acres up on the north side.

And so we approached the nursing home and said, hey, if we form a not for profit, Would you donate this land to us?

And they were overwhelmingly yes.

And in fall 2016, the Friends of the Grotto became the owners of this property.

The groups volunteers have been busier than ever.

Over 25 of them helped keep this grotto looking as beautiful as ever.

Some do maintenance, others mow grass and some just care for a few of the 50 or so flower pots in the Adopt a Flower pot program like Connie who takes care of four of them.

you don't think of it as work, it doesn't seem like a chore, you feel so relaxed, you know, you can be have a stressful day.

And as soon as you step out of the car onto the grounds, it all goes away.

Everyone doing their part to preserve and maintain Father Ottavi's little spot of serenity In a busy world.

And so that's our goal.

That's our goal as a board to preserve this for future generations.

It is.

It just part of my life Always has been and always will be.

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