Warford Grotto

A view of the Grotto with the sun setting over the horizon and a view of Bismarck North Dakota and the Missouri River in the background.

A Peaceful Space to Pray with Our Patroness

The University of Mary welcomes all to our sacred Marian grotto, dedicated to the Blessed Mother, the university’s namesake. Students, faculty, friends, and the community are drawn to this place for prayer, reflection, deepening their faith, and drawing closer to the Lord.

The Warford Grotto, named for our principal benefactors Dr. John and Jenny Warford, is patterned after the famous grotto at Our Lady of Lourdes in France. In a place like this in 1858, 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous said she encountered the Blessed Virgin Mary while gathering firewood. Investigations by the Catholic Church confirmed her visions; Soubirous was later canonized a saint.

At the University of Mary, the Warford Grotto is made of the area’s iconic fieldstone, with a special stone from the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, France, gifted to the university by Dr. Alessandro de Franciscis, president of the Medical Bureau of Lourdes. A lovely statue of Mary gazing serenely at us with her hands open warmly invites us to come before her.