HOLYROOD — It has become a tradition much anticipated by area worshippers — the monthly summer grotto rosary services at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Holyrood.
On Sunday evenings from May through September, St. Mary’s parishioners and others gather at the limestone grotto for services conducted by Florence Svobada, Lois Joiner and (this summer) Justin Palmer, a first-year seminarian from the Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. He is the son of Greg and Karen Bond, who live at Wilson Lake. The Rev. James Roth, a retired priest who lives in Claflin, serves as mentor to the group.
The services are in their third summer. The grotto, which features a statue of St. Mary as its centerpiece, was built by H.J. and Mark Herrman of Great Bend, and completed in 2007.
The rosaries attract participants not only from Holyrood, but also Dorrence, Ellinwood, Great Bend and other communities. The next service is set for 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29, at the church, 207 S. Frank. Everyone is welcome and they are asked to bring their lawn chairs since seating is limited.