The Gaudy and the Godly

So, Thea and I were passing through Wisconsin, when we came across Dickeyville’s Grotto, a shrine to God and country that is amazingly able to simultaneously inspire and hurt the eyes.

A monument formed of stone and mortar and decorated with colorful bits of plates, glass, shells, broken glass, and other tiny wonders, the shrine mixes God and country in an exceptionally American way. On one side of the entrance is love of God, with a papal flag, and the other has love of country, with the American flag. Both are presented as equal in importance and stature, “the two great ideals in the hearts of all Americans.”

Built at the end of World War I by Father Mathias Wernerus, the Grotto was intended to honor the three young men of the parish who had recently died in service. Lacking much funding, Wernerus decided to use simple materials, using stone from the Mississippi and decorations from his travels. He made wooden forms to mimic the form the of the shrine, poured in cement, and rapidly inserted the inexpensive gems, all without blueprints.

Here is Thea, in awe:

It’s very hard to take in the Grotto, as Wernerus used each and every fragment donated by parishioners and visitors to decorate it. If you look hard, there are petrified wasp nests, stalactites, starfish, and souvenirs from neighboring towns.

It’s also not somewhere you would want to trip. Everything, even the handrails along the paths, are coated with sharp decorations unwelcoming to the touch.

Every part of Roman Catholicism is covered, including all the apostles, the Ten Commandments, the Tree of Life, rosaries, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirits, and many saints. It’s incredible just how much of this art there is. Here’s the center of the Grotto, with the Virgin Mary:

But, as I said before, God and country are on equal footing here. While Jesus Christ reigns over the northern hill of the Grotto, Christopher Columbus oversees the south. In a large semi-circular park decorated with mosaic-covered Liberty Bells and anchors:

The Grotto certainly astounds with its unique vision, and certainly attests to God inspiring different people to do different things, which we may not understand or wish to create ourselves.

With a gift shop and signs on the highway, the Grotto has essentially become a roadside attraction, regardless of whether it was intended to be. How much more American can you get?