Ave Maria Grotto Cullman AL Dr Kelsey Graham 888-501-6689
Known throughout the world as Jerusalem in Miniature, is a beautifully landscaped, four-acre park designed to provide a natural setting for the 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous historic buildings and shrines of the world. The masterpieces of stone and concrete are the lifetime work of Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk of St. Bernard Abbey. Begun as a hobby, with various materials he could find, and infinite patience and a remarkable sense of symmetry and proportion, Brother Joseph re-created some of the greatest edifices of all time.
Open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day
1600 St. Bernard Drive SE
Cullman, AL 35055
(256)734-4110
The Ave Maria Grotto, Cullman, AL 2017
I spent some time wandering the beautiful Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman Alabama. Just amazing! 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous historic buildings and shrines of the world. The masterpieces of stone and concrete are the lifetime work of Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk of St. Bernard Abbey. Begun as a hobby, with various materials he could find, and infinite patience and a remarkable sense of symmetry and proportion, Brother Joseph re-created some of the greatest edifices of all time.
Ave Maria Grotto, Cullman AL
AVE MARIA GROTTO IN CULLMAN AL. AMAZING work of art, created by Brother Joseph Zoetti 1878-1961, who was a Catholic Benedictine monk at St. Bernard Abbey monastery. With no formal training, he began making the miniatures from cement...as a hobby.
In 1933, a railroad car carrying marble from an Alabama quarry, derailed and overturned nearby St. Bernard. The marble was crushed and useless to its owner, who (after hearing of Brother Joe's work) then donated it to the monastery. Monks carted it to the monastery where he made the stalactites...still incredible today...even more so in person!
There are cold cream jars, ashtrays, flashlight bases, and even some broken bathroom tiles built into the Grotto...everyday objects donated by admirers of Brother Joseph's work.
He worked on theAve Maria Grotto for over 40 years, finishing his last work in 1958, AT THE AGE OF 80!!!! Consisting of over 125 miniatures and spanning 4 acres, the Ave Maria Grotto remains much as Brother Joseph left it...totally mind blowing. really.
Ave Maria Grotto
Saint Bernard Ave Maria Grotto is located on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey and consists of small stone and cement structures all hand made from pictures by Brother Joseph Zoettel. Located in Cullman, Alabama.
[Wikipedia] Saint Vincent Archabbey
Saint Vincent Archabbey, is a Roman Catholic Benedictine Monastery in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the city of Latrobe. A member of the American-Cassinese Congregation, it is the oldest Benedictine monastery in the United States and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The Benedictine monks of St. Vincent operate and teach Saint Vincent Basilica Parish, Saint Vincent College, and Saint Vincent Seminary. The monks also provide pastoral care for Catholics in the Dioceses of Baltimore, Greensburg, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Altoona-Johnstown, and Richmond. The monks also run a military school in Savannah, Georgia (Benedictine Military School). The Archabbey also oversees Wimmer Priory in Taiwan, and Saint Benedict Priory in Brazil.
The original abbey structures were designed by the German-American architect, J. William Schickel and built between 1891 and 1905.
The current archabbot of St. Vincent's is Rt. Reverend Douglas Robert Nowicki, O.S.B. who was elected by the monastic community in 1991 and reelected in 2010.
Prior to Rev. Nowicki, the Archabbey had had ten archabbots:
Boniface Wimmer (1855 to 1887)
Andrew Hintenach (1888 to 1892)
Leander Schnerr (1892 to 1918)
Aurelius Stehle (1918 to 1930)
Alfred Koch (1930 to 1949)
Denis Strittmatter (1949 to 1963)
Rembert Weakland (1963 to 1967)
Egbert Donovan (1967 to 1979)
Leopold Krul (1979 to 1983)
Paul Maher (1983 to 1991)
The monks operate St. Vincent Archabbey Gristmill, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Monks from this abbey founded Newark Abbey (Newark, NJ) (founded as St Mary's), Saint John's Abbey (Collegeville, Minnesota), Saint Bernard Abbey (Cullman, Alabama), Saint Benedict Abbey (Atchison, Kansas), Saint Mary's Abbey (Morristown, New Jersey), Saint Bede Abbey (Peru, Illinois), Saint Procopius Abbey (Lisle, Illinois), and Mary Help of Christians Abbey (Belmont, North Carolina).
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alabama covered bridges
video of the covered bridges around north central alabama. hortons mill, the highest covered bridge in north america. swann bridge, the longest covered bridge in alabama. and clarkson-legg bridge
Ave Maria Grotto - What a Lucky Find
Ave Maria Grotto
Leaving Rickwood Caverns State Park we were driving north and found Ave Maria Grotto on Google Maps at just about half way to our next campground. It looked interesting so we decided to stop there. We were both very glad we did it is a one of a kind place.
Ave Maria Grotto is on the grounds of St Bernard Abbey. Brother Joseph Zoetl was a monk at this abbey for almost 70 years. He had a full time job shoveling coal for the power plant - during his spare time he started building replicas in 1912 and continued for 46 years.
The Ave Maria Grotto consists of 125 small stone and cement structures adorned with donated materials like broken tiles or plates and shells. The site was opened to the public in 1935 - it was well worth the six dollars we paid to visit there.
While we spent less than 2 hours here it was one of the highlights of our Alabama trip. You don't have to be religious to enjoy results of the devotion and imagination that Brother Joseph used to make this artwork. Most of the work was done only using pictures as he had never visited most of the places he modeled.
Top 40 cities in Alabama, Video 11 Cullman, AL, top micropolitan city
Cities of the World Channel, Series 1: Cities of the United States, ordered alphabetically by state. The list of cities mainly comes from:
Source: Wikipedia
The picture in the video By Dave warren80 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
In God We Trust to be displayed in Cullman County schools
In God We Trust to be displayed in Cullman County schools
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Tales From the Grotto: Alabama the Haunted State
Tales from the Grotto: Alabama, The Haunted State.
I am doing all 50 states and US territories. If you think I should do a specific place in your state let me know!
This is only three* locations. Can you think of any more? Please leave a comment below. I will be doing followup videos between my releases to update states.
I am a newer channel and new to narration. I will be working on my narration over time and have accepted that my current narration needs work. Part of the reason my upload schedule is stacked is so I can CONTINUE to improve.
Release Schedule:
Mondays: Tales from the Grotto: The Haunted State
Wednesdays: Strange Facts: Currently doing Vegas facts
Fridays: Original work written by me
Saturdays: Real Ghost stories: Growing up in Hawaii
Sundays: RPC Readings.
Music:
Hush by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
B Roll:
Rorschach Test Looping Background
Credit: Beachfront
Videezy
Images found and used under creative commons license.
Cullman Today 180 2/21/2019
Jamie and Lindsey discuss Cullman County topics
Fr. Pezzutti's Last Mass
In Cincinnati, Ohio
Cullman middle school water
Week 3 2018
Camp St. Bernard
June 16-22, 2018
St. Bernard Prep School
Cullman, Alabama
Vexilla Regis Prodeunt
A hymn in honor of the Holy Cross sung by the Monks of St. Bernard Abbey; led by Rev. Joel Martin, O.S.B., Choir Master.
Vexilla Regis Prodeunt
The royal banners forward go,
the cross shines forth in mystic glow;
where he in flesh, our flesh who made,
our sentence bore, our ransom paid.
Where deep for us the spear was dyed,
life's torrent rushing from his side,
to wash us in that precious flood,
where mingled water flowed, and blood.
Fulfilled is all that David told
in true prophetic song of old,
amidst the nations, God, saith he,
hath reigned and triumphed from the tree.
O tree of beauty, tree of light!
O tree with royal purple dight!
Elect on whose triumphal breast
those holy limbs should find their rest.
Blest tree, whose chosen branches bore
the wealth that did the world restore,
the price of humankind to pay,
and spoil the spoiler of his prey.
Upon its arms, like balance true,
he weighed the price for sinners due,
the price which none but he could pay,
and spoiled the spoiler of his prey.
O cross, our one reliance, hail!
Still may thy power with us avail
to give new virtue to the saint,
and pardon to the penitent.
To thee, eternal Three in One,
let homage meet by all be done:
whom by the cross thou dost restore,
preserve and govern evermore. Amen.
[Wikipedia] Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Muscle Shoals was 13,146. The estimated population in 2014 was 13,614.
Both the city and the Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area (including four cities in Colbert and Lauderdale counties) are commonly called the Shoals. Northwest Alabama Regional Airport serves the Shoals region, located in the northwest section of the state.
Due to its strategic location along the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals played a key role in historic land disputes between Native Americans and Anglo-American settlers in the late 1700s and early 1800s. It was also the site of an attempted community development project by Henry Ford in 1922. Since the 1960s, the city has been known for music – developing the Muscle Shoals Sound, as local recording studios (including FAME Studios in the late 1950s and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in 1969) produced hit records that shaped the history of popular music.
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Daily Catholic Mass - 2018-07-11 - Abbot Cletus Meagher
St. Benedict, Abbot (Memorial)
Daily Catholic Mass - 2019-07-11 - Fr. John Paul
St. Benedict, Abbot (Memorial)