100 years and counting: Geneva grotto thrives, thanks to restoration work by local volunteers
Vandals generally carry out their wasteful and costly attacks under the cover of darkness or in places where the chance of someone suddenly showing up during the crime is close to nil.
The Sacred Heart Grotto in Geneva, nestled in a forest near a creek just south of the Kane County Government Center, is such a place. But the efforts of dedicated residents have changed that.
Nearly 10 years ago, vandals did their nasty deed on this stone Christian altar built by a group of priests in 1929 when the area was the Sacred Heart Seminary campus for training young students to be Catholic priests. The dedicated priests used rocks from the Fox River and discarded multicolored glass found near a factory in Ottawa to create the grotto over about a year.
It sat in the vandalized condition for some time before residents came forward to right a wrong.
"I was first aware of it (the vandalism) in 2017 when a fellow named Patrick Murtaugh took me over there and showed me," said Bob McQuillan of Batavia, who has spearheaded efforts to repair the grotto ever since. "A friend and I put the initial word out, and his son was an Eagle Scout, so the Scouts and some adults helped us clean up the area."
The first effort to restore the grotto helped its appearance, but it had one shortcoming. There still weren't any security cameras on the site. So, vandals struck again in 2019.
"At that point, we approached the Kane County Forest Preserve because it is on their property," McQuillan said. "We went in as the Knights of Columbus local chapter and worked out a three-year maintenance agreement."
As such, the Knights essentially did the work on the grotto, and through the summer of 2021, volunteers had the site "90% clean" with cameras and signs on site. No one has touched it since McQuillan noted.
Most importantly, the two rounds of spray-painted profanity and smashed stone on this piece of local history sparked a group of residents to follow McQuillan's lead in forming the Geneva Grotto Organization, which would go about the business of a nonprofit in raising money to restore the grotto and improve the setting's access.
"Last summer, we did some more work, replacing small stones and other things missing," McQuillan said. "A big dome over the altar was falling apart, and we took those stones out and sealed it, so there will not be more water damage."
With the grotto being almost 100 years old, the organization hopes its work will result in "getting another 100 years out of it," McQuillan added.
By the end of last summer, temporary steps were built on the right side of the altar. Because of the creek restoration, the path to the front entrance of the grotto is closed. The grotto organization hopes the temporary steps will make it easier to get to the grotto for those who want to see a piece of local history as well as those seeking a place for quiet prayer and contemplation.
This summer will be important for the grotto organization's restoration efforts. A mural on the right panel inside the grotto has a hole in it, which some women in the organization have been helping fill with rocks they have gathered "in their travels," McQuillan said.
The organization, which had 30 to 35 members at one time, is down to less than 10 active members now but continues to push for needed funds and more public knowledge of the efforts to preserve the grotto.
It raised $7,000 initially and has about half left to address current needs.
In the meantime, the group is working with the forest preserve district to possibly approve the grotto as a historic site, making seeking grants easier. Also, the forest preserve is uncomfortable with the temporary steps to the grotto, so talks about a restored path and possible handicap access after the creek renovation are also taking place.
Before-and-after photos are common on the group's Facebook page and its website at genevagrotto.org. In addition, grotto Christmas cards and "thank you" cards are for sale and available by calling McQuillan at (630) 205-1683, and he will deliver the cards.
Considering all of these efforts, the grotto organization's work is highly commendable. It all shows that historic structures are important, no matter how small or secluded.
Fun and wine
The Geneva Community Chest is at it again when it comes to combining dinner, wine and fun into a fundraising event.
The organization is hosting its 18th annual Wine Gala at 6 p.m. Friday, March 17, featuring a four-course dinner and wine pairing at Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva.
In calling this year's event "Luck of the Bottle," the Community Chest is also offering raffles and a live auction.
Cost is $150 per person. Information is available at info@genevacommunitychest.org. Registration, in its last week, is taken on the genevacommunitychest.org site.
Last year, the event raised more than $200,000 that Community Chest distributed to nearly 30 nonprofits in the Tri-Cities area.
A change in date
Last week, I had planned to combine an item about the above Geneva Community Chest fundraiser and a planned TriCity Family Services fundraiser because they were occurring on the same weekend.
But TCFS sent out an alert that it was changing the date on its annual gala event, called the "Black and White Ball," to Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Q Center in St. Charles.
Scholarships for veterans
Kane County veterans or individuals who have an immediate family member who is a veteran or on active military duty have an opportunity to receive a scholarship from the A Salute to Our Heroes Foundation in Elgin.
The person applying for the scholarship, called the Specialist Ethan J. Martin Scholarship, must be a high school senior or college student, or adult seeking a degree or a trade.
Applications, available at asalutetoourheroes@gmail.com, need to be submitted by April 15 and the foundation awards scholarships on May 1, 2023.
Questions can be directed to founder and scholarship board president Dona A. Stretch at (224) 600-3318.
dheun@sbcglobal.net