BY MICHELE CANNING SMITH

AN OPEN AIR mass will be held at the Grotto in Strabane this weekend to mark the refurbishment of the 50 year old 'sacred space'.

Our Lady's Grotto at Townsend Street, described by the parish priest as an 'oasis of calm in the fray of busy life', has formed an important part of community life in the town for well over half a century.

It is situated on the site of Strabane's first every Church. Rosary is said there every day, a rosary that has not been broken in 57 years.

At noon and 6pm every day the sounds of 'The Bells of the Angelus' can be heard in the Head of the Town from the bell, which was donated by nuns at the Convent of Mercy in 1999.

On Sunday, a new Statue of Our Lady donated by St Mary's Boys Primary School, will be blessed by Fr Declan Boland, PP at the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

DONATED

The statue, donated to the school some years ago by local businessman Seamus McGoldrick, will be unveiled at Sunday's Mass.

John Duncan, a member of the Grotto Committee (made up of some seven residents who give their time to maintaining and looking after the site), spoke to the Chronicle this week.

"When we received the statue from the school we set about organising for an alcove to be built.

"The Stewart Bros built it and Houston contractors placed the stone around it. The Grotto has also been newly painted.'

John said the Grotto holds a very special place in the hearts of residents, pointing out that throughout the Troubles not a stone was ever damaged within the Grotto.

"A rosary is said there every day. It used to be said at 7.30pm at night but during the Troubles a soldier was shot outside the Grotto.

"It was decided that it would be changed to 2pm every day and that is still the case today. But the Grotto itself has never been damaged or marred in any way during all of the Troubles."

John said the chief motivation for many of the Committee is Sr Ursula, of the Convent of Mercy, and Mary Christy, from Barrack Street.

John adds, "A man arrived one day during the rosary. Afterwards I spoke with him.

"He was from Kildare and had travelled around all of the grottoes in Ireland and he thought this was the loveliest he had seen."

OASIS OF CALM

Parish Priest, Fr Boland described the Grotto as 'an oasis of calm.'

"The Grotto is built on the site of an ancient church and obviously the prayers and worship over centuries is palpable there. Whilst it's in the middle of the town it's a sacred place.

"In this day of a very driven and busy life, we need more sacred space and places to soothe and calm overworked bodies and minds.

"It is a place of tranquillity and recollection and somewhere you can gain perspective again once more before entering the fray. of everyday life."

Fr Boland praised the Grotto committee saying, "I would liken them to a group who are beavering away in the background behind the scenes unannounced and not trumpeted at all. They do the work of God and we owe them a great debt.

"It is quite superb that for over half a century the Grotto has been maintained to an extraordinary level and that for every day the Rosary has been said, it's quite amazing.

"I am looking forward to the open air mass on Sunday and would invite all of the community to join with us."

Fr Boland said he intends to hold an open air mass at the site at least once a year.

Sunday's Mass will take place at 4pm at the Grotto.