In West Bend, Iowa, the land is mostly doing what Iowa land does. It lies flat. It grows things. It gives the wind a long, unobstructed view.
And then, in the middle of it, there is a mountain.
Not a natural mountain. Not exactly a building, either. It is a glittering complex of stone, concrete, minerals, glass tile, and religious statuary. It has rooms, walls, arches, and passages. It looks, depending on the light, like a jeweled cave, a small cathedral, or a geological event that has been waiting patiently for visitors.
It is called the Grotto of the Redemption.
A priest named Father Paul Matthias Dobberstein began building it in nineteen twelve. He continued for forty-two years. He did not have a modern construction crew, a large architectural firm, or a particularly convenient landscape. He had a parish, a vision, a supply of materials, and a willingness to keep going.
Today on Strange America, a story about faith, patience, and the American habit of looking at an ordinary piece of ground and deciding it ought to become something else.
In this episode:
• The Iowa Priest Who Built a Mountain of Stones by Hand
Sources & further reading:
• History of The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption: https://www.westbendgrotto.com/history/
