Iowa Priest Spent 42 Years Building Monumental Stone Shrine After Surviving Illness

Iowa priest survived pneumonia, then spent 42 years building a stone shrine

The Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa, owes its existence to a young seminarian's promise made during his illness. Initiated by Father Dobberstein, the monumental structure took an astonishing 42 years to complete. Utilizing a variety of geological elements, over 100 train carloads of stones were involved in its construction, making it a celebrated historic landmark and one of the largest man-made grottos globally.

By TOI WORLD DESK