Driving down Main Street in New Iberia past City Hall, a scenic piece of religious art is nestled adjacent to the Iberia Parish Library.

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes has become a staple in downtown New Iberia, attracting tourists and religious devotees to regular prayer sessions and church events.

Although directly next to one of New Iberia’s busiest thoroughfares, the structure is known for solemn, quiet devotion and is housed directly underneath some of the many oak trees down Main Street. The grotto was constructed in 1941, and is a replica of the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto located in Lourdes, France. An inscription located near the grotto said it was constructed “in grateful memory of the pioneer families of New Iberia and in gratitude to God for his abundant blessings on the Teche country.”

Although much smaller than its French counterpart, the grotto depicts the scene of Bernadette Soubirous praying to an apparition of the Virgin Mary, which in the Roman Catholic tradition is said to have occurred on Feb. 11, 1858.

Soubirous is said to have told her mother that a lady had spoken to her in the cave of Massabielle while she was gathering firewood. According to information near the grotte, Soubirous was canonized as a saint in 1933 and said to have seen the Virgin Mary 18 times.

The image of Our Lady of Lourdes has been widely copied and reproduced around the world, including in New Iberia when the grotto was constructed.

The religious set was constructed by the Christ Brothers of St. Peter’s College and designed by architect Eugene Guillot. The college was founded in 1918 by the LaSallian Brothers from France to provide a Catholic education for the boys who needed education the most.

According to a prepared statement from Catholic High School, St. Peter’s College was located on Main Street, and the grotto is the only standing structure left.

Since then, the grotto was re-dedicated by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1967 as a way to commemorate the lives of local veterans who had died serving the country.

In 1996, the grotto was restored in 1996 by Mayor Cliff Aucoin and remains a staple of downtown New Iberia.

The grotto is located close to other religious staples in New Iberia, including St. Peter’s Catholic Church a few blocks away on St. Peter Street and a statue of the Virgin on Mary across the block at Rosary House near St. Peter Street.