The grotto structure under development will be ready in the coming days (Nicole Reis/ meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nicole Reis

CHURCH GROTTO

Local church develops outdoor worship space to ease gathering apprehensions

Jul 10, 2020 | 5:13 PM

A church in Meadow Lake is creating more ways for people to connect with their faith and find peace during the pandemic. Father Douglas Jeffrey, OMI of Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church, developed an outdoor grotto for congregation members to safely worship with minimal risk.

He said when COVID-19 struck, the church remained open for a short period to allow for individuals to pray while masses were cancelled.

“People began to feel some discouragement and frustration that their sacred space was gone,” he told meadowlakeNOW. “In addition to that, there was fear about what this virus could do, or how many might get it, so there was lots of anxiety.”

To ensure services remain available, Father Doug now conducts services online, through Facebook Live and by phone. He arrived at the concept of an outdoor grotto to ease public apprehension about indoor gathering. It also serves as a symbol the church remains there for people during the pandemic.

“We thought of an idea of a grotto,” he said. “[The mother] Mary is very important in the Catholic faith and she embodies the whole sense of caring and reminding us that we’re not alone as she is walking this journey with us,” he said. “We ask her to pray for us, we ask her to intercede for us, so we came up with the idea of building a grotto so that people could see, they could stop, and there’s no danger of having to sanitize, and that’s how it all began.”

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When the site is complete, it will consist of a cement base with a concrete planter at the center. The church’s icon of the Virgin Mary will be perched inside the planter surrounded by pebbles. The roof pitch and shingles will replicate the church and a bench will be affixed so people can sit.

Roof and trusses of Our Lady Peace Roman Catholic Church which will be replicated. (Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

He said after the site is complete, the church plans to invite Bishop Albert Thevenot of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert for a special service. He said he is grateful to Rhys and Pat Baulieu for constructing the grotto, Troy Johnson and everyone who helped out and contributed to the project.

Rhys and his wife Pat worked on the project together as a labour of love for his congregation and the community. Weather depending, Rhys expects the grotto to be complete the coming days.

“I think it gives people hope and I think it’s important that people do have hope,” he said. “We are going to get through this and if we do a little praying and get things done, we’ll get through it.”

Sandra Senga has been a member of the congregation for nearly 40 years and said the grotto is a welcome connection to her place of worship as not everyone in the community has online access or social media. Elders in the community who do not access technology, may now have better access to their faith.

During the pandemic, Senga said limited services didn’t quite feel right. As an active member, the music uplifts her and the sense of togetherness carries her through listening to the service and homily.

“It’s a lonely feeling because worship is generally done as a congregation regardless of which church you belong to, you’re a member of that congregation and you have that feeling of family and togetherness,” she said. ‘When it’s done on your own, it certainly changes the way you look at things and the way you feel about the way you were praying and worshiping.”

Senga said she admires Father Doug and the ways he’s helped the congregation through the pandemic by offering a range of ways to connect with their faith.

Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church is located at 504 Third Ave. East.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722