Ms. Erin Meadows’s 3rd graders visit Ave Maria Grotto at St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman
Ms. Erin Meadows’s 3rd-grade class took a field trip to St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama, on Tuesday to see the Ave Maria Grotto.
Ave Maria Grotto is a landscaped park and garden built into an old quarry at the abbey. The park includes 125 miniature reproductions of Catholic architectural masterpieces from around the world, such as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and even Alabama’s own Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile.
The grotto also includes statues and images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and many of the saints.
St. Bernard Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks founded in Cullman by German monks in 1891.
Benedictine monk Brother Joseph Zoettl, born in Bavaria in 1878, spent over 50 years creating the Grotto at the monastery using bricks, marbles, tiles, pipes, and other materials.
The Grotto is included in both the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage and the National Register of Historic Places.
At St. Francis Xavier (SFX) Catholic School, 3rd-graders learn about the Middle Ages in Europe. The Middle Ages saw many developments in philosophy, architecture, literature, politics, and science.
During this time, most of Western Europe remained united under the Catholic Church. Monastic orders such as the Benedictines were very influential in medieval life, education, and culture.
After touring the Grotto, Father Joel Martin, O.S.B. met the students in the Abbey Church, where they learned about Benedictine monks and the architecture of the monastery.
SFX kindergarteners through 5th graders each learn about a specific historical time period from the cradle of civilization to American history. Teachers often integrate other subjects like literature, religion, art, and even math and science into this historical theme. This encourages students to make connections between what they learn, and understand history, art, and thought as critical parts of the grand story of salvation.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School is an accredited classical Catholic PreK-8 school in Birmingham’s Crestline neighborhood that uses the time-tested Catholic Intellectual Tradition to form students in virtue through the pursuit of academic excellence and service toward God and neighbor.
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