Come… Take a moment of peace… in the woods of Geneva, IL
While the restoration project has been a volunteer effort, the time has come where costly items need to be addressed. The Geneva Grotto Organization is pleased to announce our first fundraising campaign. Memorial bricks will give everyone the opportunity to be part of the Sacred Heart restoration. Memorial bricks will be placed in two different areas of the grounds: the front two sections next to the center walkway on the first step and lining the center walkway from the creek to the cross walkway.
Buy Your BrickA brief jaunt, no more than 10 minutes, leads to a slight hill where one is rewarded with a scene more expected in the likes of romanticized medieval England.
Hidden on the grounds of the Kane County Government Center, the Grotto is a gem to stumble upon. Perched atop a hill overlooking a stream, the grotto is a serene surprise for anyone who happens to come across it while wandering through the woods. It’s a quiet, peaceful spot. A nearby creek gurgles in the background, adding a soothing soundtrack. It’s a leftover relic from the property’s past life.
Before it became the county headquarters, this property was the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary. High School students were taught there from the late 1920s until 1971, when the grounds were sold. Built in the 1930’s when the property was owned by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the outdoor chapel is an imposing stone structure.
A German priest built the shrine, using rocks and colored glass from the local river beds to create the small chapel-like structure.
Mosaics, some of which depict crosses, adorn the walls and the floor of the sheltered interior space.
A detailed mosaic of rocks spread over three arches depicts Heaven and Earth, a Crucifix crossed by two lances, a Monstrance (a transparent ornate receptacle that holds the body of Christ for display during Benediction), and a lighthouse.
The Heaven and Earth panel is bordered with the phrase, “Ignem veni mittere,” which translates to “I have come to bring fire.” The lighthouse, or flame of divine love, is underlined by, “ego sum lux mundi,” or “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). This sentiment is further reflected by the central arch’s ceiling depicting a blue sky pierced by rays of light.
The grotto’s upper corners are decorated with the Greek letters alpha and omega, referring to the New Testament in which Jesus uses these characters to describe himself; as in embodying both beginning and end. Additionally, as a nod to the first three letters of Jesus in Greek, the altar is inscribed with the letters “IHS.”
Beginning in the 1980’s, the Grotto was covered in dirt and grime and looked a bit run down.
In later years, thanks to vandals, it was completely covered in graffiti making it impossible to read any of the panels. The property sits on land owned by the Kane County Forest Preserve.