Dating back to 1883, the Calvary-Grotto Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the historic places in Thibodaux that has remained in constant use. In 1865, with the grotto in mind, Rev. Charles Menard, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, planted two rows of oak trees behind the old church to form an alley to the future site. Early records show that 2,400 cart-loads of dirt were required to form a hillock seventeen feet high, and the grotto was built of bricks. On December 16, 1883, a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was placed in the grotto. In 1884, a Calvary group of cast iron statues purchased from the House of Verrbout in Paris, France, was added. Rev. Menard praised the group as a real masterpiece, highlighting the anatomy of Christ, the Blessed Virgin's extreme sorrow and superhuman resignation, St. John’s faith and love, and St. Mary Magdalene’s meditative and repentant attitude. On October 8, 1884, Archbishop Francis Leray of New Orleans blessed the statues and gave the Pontifical blessing to a crowd of about 2000 persons attending the solemn ceremony. In later years, statues of St. Joseph, St. Anne, St. Jude, and St. Theresa of the child Jesus were added in niches of the grotto, which continues to serve as a place of meditation and prayer.