The College is the beneficiary of Max Hoelker’s Eagle Scout project to renovate the Grotto for the Blessed Mother at Notre Dame. Max Hoelker is a Life Scout in Troop 293 out of Cleveland, Ohio, and is organizing a fundraiser to improve bridge supports, create a better path, landscape and provide general maintenance on the College shrine.
With the help of his fellow scouts, Max Hoelker already has started work on the pathway and is hoping to raise additional funding now to install permanent lighting around the grotto. Max Hoelker is the son of Florentine Hoelker, Ph.D., dean of online programs and strategic initiatives at the College
Notre Dame’s Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto
The Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto at Notre Dame is located on the southeast corner of the campus near College Road.
The shrine was originally constructed on the northeast corner, along Division Road, by maintenance workers William Heimberger and Bernard Muhle. This first grotto was dedicated by Rev. Edgar Bedard on November 24, 1937. It was relocated to the southeast corner in 2008-2009 to accommodate expanded student housing and parking.
The statue of the Blessed Mother has been repaired and replaced several times through the decades. In the 1930s, a painted wood statue was enclosed in a glass case. In 1942, a white stone Our Lady was provided to harmonize with a nearby statue of St. Joseph.
A dedicatory plaque was placed on site by the Class of 1937 on their 50th anniversary in 1987.
Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Project
Max Hoelker is among approximately 55,000 youth across the nation who achieve the Life Scout milestone. According to the Boy Scouts of America, the Life patch, an emblem of the heart, historically has been a symbol of health and fitness. It has grown to represent the spirit of giving and caring that characterizes the Eagle Scout service project.
The Eagle Scout proposal reflects who the scout is as a leader and emphasizes the scout’s intention to provide leadership to others through planning and development to meet the beneficiary organization’s needs.
“Service to other people is what Scouting is all about,” the Boy Scouts of America state. “Your result should be of significant impact in your community to be special, and should represent your very best effort.”
Friends of the College can donate to Max Hoelker’s project at his online Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/blessed-mother-grotto-fixup-at-notre-dame-college. Any excess funds raised will go to campus grounds improvement and landscaping.
July 2021
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs, and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.