Watching the Conclave from an Iowa Catholic landmark
The West Bend St. Peter & Paul Church welcomes visitors frequently, due to the Grotto of the Redemption next door. The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption is the life's work of Father Paul Dobberstein. He had a serious illness, he prayed that if he survived, he would construct the grotto. He spent a decade gathering rocks and precious stones for this undertaking. He started construction in 1912.
Through the years, the Grotto has welcomed an estimated six million people since it was built. One person visiting on Wednesday was Paul Rasavage, of Maple Falls, WA.
'As a Catholic, this is something very very serious as they elect the new pope as Pope Francis has passed away,' said Rasavage. 'We're very interested in seeing how the Holy Spirit guides this conclave in hopes and anticipation, we have a Holy Pope that comes out of this to guide the church through especially these difficult times.'
Rasavage said he's heard the debate on should the new pope lean conservative, or liberal.
'That's the wrong way to look at the church because God is a-political,' said Rasavage. 'We look at saving souls. It's to look at it, anything in the Conclave as left versus right liberal versus conservative that's totally the wrong way to look at it.'
'We've got to pray for them to make the decision you know the right decision pick the right pope,' said Bruce Helleseth, who works at the Grotto, and is a deacon in the church here. 'You know hope the Holy Spirit guiding all these Cardinals, I just put my faith in in the whole system, and it takes a while.'
This year is a Jubilee Year for the Catholic Church, that means some are challenged to make a pilgrimage for their faith.
'Every 25 years is the Jubilee Year and they open up four doors in for the basilica in Rome, said Dave Waldschmidt, a tour guide at the Grotto. 'With the going to confession, going to mass, receiving communion, and prayers you receive special indulgence, which are grace is bestowed on us by God. The grotto is one of the designated jubilee sites in this diocese.'
People can schedule to make a pilgrimage to The Grotto, or other sites within their diocese.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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