Ora et Labora

Half-way between Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama stands Saint Bernard Abbey and the Ave Maria Grotto, the astonishing life work of Brother Joseph Zoettl  (1878-1961).  Brother Joseph deserves to be acclaimed for his great dedication and passion as well as his vision and creative genius.  Gazing upon his artistic and precise rendering in miniature of over 125 of the world’s greatest architectural gems is incredulous. The beauty and complexity of his tiny buildings and grottoes creates reverence for his talent and fortitude.

The Ave Maria Grotto, located at St. Bernard Abbey at Cullman, Alabama
is on the National Register of Historic Places

Brother Joseph had never actually seen most of the buildings that he replicated.  He designed and implemented his vision based only on newspaper photographs and penny postcards as a reference.   He masterfully created a miniature world he himself had never experienced.

St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  The dome of this piece is made from a discarded bird cage.



To provide some perspective of size, the Abbey cat jumped up onto the miniature.  He is a
full-grown cat and you can see how big the buildings are compared to the cat



St. Martin's Church in Brother Joseph's hometown in Bavaria.  He was baptized in this church
in 1878.  The tower on the church is 432 feet tall, the tallest brick tower in the world.



The Seven Hills of Rome.  The building at the top left is Monte Casino Abbey, founded
by St. Benedict in the 5th century. It has been destroyed by war four times, and rebuilt
four times, most recently in 1944 when it was bombed by the Allies during WWII



Basilicas, Temples and the Catacombs in Rome



Using only concrete and bits and pieces of items “of no use” such as seashells, marbles, discarded costume jewelry and broken plates, his delightful imaginative worlds sprang to life in his creative hands and his most-assuredly brilliant mind.

Brother Joseph's whimsical side: Hansel and Gretel Visit the Temple of the Fairies.  Note the dragon
under the castle.  He has a chain around his neck to prevent him from getting the children. In this piece,
Brother Joseph used, among other things, two dozen cold cream jars (each of the children is standing on one)



Considering the conditions under which his creative genius flourished, his fortitude can only be described as epic. Brother Joseph was born Michael Zoettl on January 24, 1878 in Landshut, Bavaria.  In January 1892 he left for St. Bernard Abbey, a newly formed Abbey in the southern United States.  As a monk he served under a number of priests in several of St. Bernard’s missions, as a housekeeper, often under rather arduous conditions.  He was brought back to the Abbey in Cullman, Alabama in 1911 where he was in charge of the powerhouse. He worked in the powerhouse seventeen hours a day, seven days a week, for thirty years. Yet he managed to create the masterpiece known as Ave Maria Grotto.

 

Life-sized statue of Brother Joseph, cast after his death, standing in
the garden facing the Ave Maria Grotto.  At his feet is a replica of the
miniature that he created of the church in his hometown in Bavaria.



The inscription on the base of Brother Joseph's statue is done using the same "bits
and pieces" of glass, marbles, shells and jewelry with which he worked.



Brother Joseph's miniature of a map of Alabama.  Alabama is a
Native American Indian word meaning "here we rest".







In 1918 Brother Joseph began working in cement. He placed some of his early work in the monastery recreation grounds.  Due to so many visitors wanting to see his work, they were moved to another location.  To help raise money for missions, Father Dominic asked him to create small grottos to sell in a small shop in front of the college.  After creating 5,000 small grottos for Father Dominic’s project, he started the Ave Maria Grotto in 1932, and it was dedicated in 1934 as a memorial to the Right Reverend Bernard Menges, O.S.B., the second Abbott of St. Bernard Abbey and College.  (The college closed in 1979.  Today a co-ed Prep School is operated at the Abbey.) 

The Ave Maria Grotto was dedicated in 1934 to the second Abbott of St. Bernard Abbey

 

Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Mobile, AL. Brother Joseph used
all manner of seemingly worthless "bits and pieces" to create beautiful art.
 The two domes are discarded toilet floats.

 

One of Brother Joseph's earliest pieces, the Red Cross Tower, built
as a tribute to the organization for its work during World War I

In the center of the garden is the namesake creation, the Ave Marie Grotto, itself.  The grotto stands twenty-seven feet tall, twenty-seven feet wide, and twenty-seven feet deep, a man-made cavern dug into a hillside that did not contain a “natural” cave.  The structure was decorated by Brother Joseph with countless pieces of colored stones and glass.  He built the altar using bits of crushed glass, stone and cement.  He also made the stalactites which hang from the ceiling.  Standing with the Child Jesus in her arms, the Virgin Mary is known in this image as Our Lady of Prompt Succor, or Our Lady of Quick Aid.  To Mary’s right (the viewer’s left) is St. Benedict of Nursia, founder of the Benedictine Order.  To Mary’s left is St. Scholastica, the twin sister of St. Benedict.



The Ave Maria Grotto is 27 feet tall, 27 feet wide and 27 feet deep.

This prayer is carved into a tablet that sits just inside the Ave Maria Grotto

St. Benedict, founder of the Benedictine order, prays to the Virgin Mary on her right

St. Scholastica, the twin sister of St. Benedict, prays on Mary's left



Brother Joseph continued his work on the grotto until the last two years of his life when his health failed him. His final creation is a replica of the grotto and cathedral at Lourdes, France.  He built it between January and April of 1958, when he was 80 years of age.   He passed away October 15, 1961.  Brother Joseph Zoettl left behind a legacy of magnificent art work and a shining example of what talent and fortitude can create.  He gave a gift of wonder that he is still sharing with the world.



Mission churches of California and Texas, including the Alamo (far right)

Noah's Ark

The Tower of Babel.  On the base, the words "Tower of Babel" appear
many different languages, depicting the theme of the Bible story.



Tribute to St. Bernard College "boys" killed in wars: 32 white crosses for those that died in WWII,
3 killed in Korea, and 2 killed in Vietnam.  The American flag is made from red, white and blue
marbles and contains 48 stars, as it was made before Alaska and Hawaii were admitted.



Brother Joseph's last creation, the Cathedral at Lourdes, France.  He constructed this
piece between January and April, 1958, when he was 80 years of age and in very
poor health.  He died two and one-half years later.

“Ora et Labora” – “Pray and Work” – the motto of the Order of St. Benedict, is certainly evident in the wondrous world created by this stellar visionary and artist.  Thank you, Brother Joseph, from those of us who get to briefly experience this delightful repose.

Four miles off of Interstate 65 in the heart of Alabama, in a former limestone quarry – proof that just about anywhere you go you can find inspiring Road Stories.






Note: Biographical information about Brother Joseph is taken from a small booklet purchased at the Abbey called Ave Maria Grotto Miniature Miracles printed in 2004.

Admission is charged to visit the Ave Maria Grotto ($5 per person as of May 2014.)  For more information go to www.avemariagrotto.com