A garden dedicated to the Blessed Mother has been transformed into a beautiful grotto thanks to the dedication of members of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Oquossoc and the Knights of Columbus.

“The volunteers who made this happen did a fantastic job. There was a lot of time and effort and behind-the-scenes work, and it came out beautiful,” says Kevin Cyr, a parishioner from Rangeley. “It has been transformed into something magical.”

For decades, a statue of the Blessed Mother, formerly located at a convent, stood across the street from Our Lady of the Lakes Church. During Father Paul Plante’s time as pastor (2004-2016), he encouraged parishioners to plant flowers and bushes, hoping it would become a place of prayer. Unfortunately, he passed away before that dream was fully realized.

When Father Brittoraj Amalogam, HGN, became parish administrator last year, he too saw the garden’s potential as he looked across at it from the rectory porch.

“I used to think, ‘OK, we have the garden, but we have no Marian devotion out of it as such.’ And I was thinking, ‘OK, why don’t we renovate this or have some plan?’” he says.

He shared what he had in mind with parishioners who took it from there, donating money and doing the work themselves, with the help of Knights of Columbus Council 320 from Jay/Farmington and a new Knights roundtable from Our Lady of the Lakes.

“I brought my tractor down. We broke ground, laid down some ground cloth, had a bunch of that stone brought in, and we began. We got the benches put together, all hand-sanded,” says Adam O’Neal, a parishioner from Rangeley. “It was two months of work every day.”

Work began in mid-June and was completed in August, when the grotto was blessed by Bishop James Ruggieri.

“May your children who are gathered in the grotto of Our Lady of the Lakes know her protection and trace in their hearts the pattern of her holiness,” the bishop prayed. 

The grotto, designed in the shape of a chalice, includes a stone pathway that aligns with the door of the church, benches, an altar, and a wooden arch framing the statue of the Blessed Mother. The arch was built by Tim Eames of Oquossoc.

“It’s just a beautiful, peaceful place for anyone to spend time with Our Lady and pray in this beautiful, rustic, rural setting,” says Lauren Moody of Auburn.

“What a restful and contemplative place,” agrees Wayne Moody, her husband. “I’m sure that Father Plante is so happy. He’s doing back flips up in heaven now because this was always his hope.”

Parishioners say the grotto is already drawing in both residents and visitors.

“This is one of the best places to pray the Rosary. It really is. It’s powerful. You have all the elements around you. Of course, it won’t be during winter, but this time of year, it is beautiful,” says O’Neal.

“The tourists in the summer, they come by and they stop, and they actually get out of their cars. They’ll come, and they’ll sit here. Some people have put 10 rocks on the seat to say the decades of the Rosary,” says Mike Okuniewicz from Phillips. “It’s pretty cool.”

The parish plans to hold outdoor Masses in the grotto on the first Saturday of the month from May to October.