Drive through town and one encounters an outcropping of stone built by German immigrant Rev. Paul Dobberstein. The Grotto of the Redemption is now so well known that it’s easy for many Iowans to take it for granted.

Monsignor Ed Girres may be technically retired, but he has given himself a new mission of bringing to life the evangelical nature of the Grotto as Dobberstein intended so long ago when he put these stones together.

“The main purpose of the Grotto is evangelization, telling the Good News of God’s love and mercy for us,” Girres said. “People get that message when they visit here, but I think the Grotto can be so much more than that.”

As part of his work in West Bend, Girres, who from 1999 to 2008 had been part of a Catholic team ministry in Webster County, is now offering twice-yearly Days of Reflection and Prayer. The next one will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 17.

Participants will be invited to discover how the quiet space of the grotto can work in their own life.

But first it’s necessary to understand the purpose of a grotto.

“The concept of grottoes is from the Middle Ages, when shepherds were out in the fields in the mountain areas,” Girres said. “The grotto is not a cave. It’s like a big opening on the side of the mountain. Shepherds used it for protection from weather. On Sundays, when they could not get back to their village for church, they would put religious objects in there and had their own form of prayer.”

For shepherds, who lived with their sheep, a grotto was a place to get away from their work — a place of quiet, rest, and reflection.

“We all need grottoes in our life, places to get away to the quiet,” Girres said. “We need to make space in our life for more quiet and more prayer.”

The Day of Prayer and Reflection somewhat revolves around this theme. The day starts with a guided tour of the grotto, and then moves in to alternating times of talks from Girres and time to be alone in the Grotto or the accompanying Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church for private prayer and reflection.

The afternoon will feature Eucharistic Adoration at 2 p.m.

“During adoration we use a form of Taize prayer,” Girres said. “It’s a form of calming down with a repetitive scripture, psalm, or phrase.”

Taize prayer originated in Taize, France, during World War II. Brother Roger Schutz founded an ecumenical monastery in France and this peaceful form of prayer continues to draw followers today.

Girres hopes the day will encourage people to find time for a spiritual grotto in their own life.

“God usually speaks to us in the quiet,” he said. “But a lot of times it is based on what we have experienced in our human relationships. It takes the quiet to reflect on those relationships and see how the hand of God may be moving us. Or maybe we have met people who are really suffering, and it takes quiet to put that all together.”

The day is open to people from all faiths and all walks of life — because everyone needs a grotto. Catholics attending will also have an opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The day will conclude with Mass at 4 p.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, right next door to the Grotto in West Bend.

Lunch is provided with the $50 registration fee. For more information or to register, go online at westbendgrotto.com or call 515 887-2371.