About National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes · Euclid, Ohio
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, located at 21281 Chardon Road in Euclid, Ohio, is a replica of the famous Lourdes grotto in France where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette. Carved from imported Italian marble, the shrine features a grotto with water flowing over relics of the original stone on which Mary stood, alongside Rosary Hill, Stations of the Cross, a prayer labyrinth, a chapel, and a gift shop. The shrine is owned and operated by the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity (Trinitarian Sisters), who came to the United States in 1920 and took over the property in 1952 from the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Open year-round, it welcomes visitors from more than 44 countries and is marking its 100th anniversary in 2026.
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is not a parish — it is a devotional shrine, so one does not 'register' as a parishioner — but it offers something rarer: a peaceful, year-round place of pilgrimage in northeast Ohio built around a real relic of the Lourdes stone, daily Mass celebrated by a local priest, weekly adoration on Tuesdays, outdoor Mass on the grotto grounds from May through October, Stations of the Cross, Rosary Hill, a prayer labyrinth, and a gift shop run by the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity. Pilgrims, school groups, and bus tours visit from more than 44 countries to touch the relic, pray the rosary outdoors, and join the sisters for the 100th anniversary observances in 2026.
Mass times at National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Tuesday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
About the Shrine
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is a marble replica of the Lourdes grotto in France, dedicated in 1926 and named a national American shrine in 1928. The grounds — including a chapel, convent, Rosary Hill, Stations of the Cross, a prayer labyrinth, and the St. Ann Dining Hall — are owned and operated by about 15 Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity living in the adjacent convent. The sisters are supported 100% by private donations.
- Founded 1926; named a national shrine 1928
- Owned by the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity (Trinitarians)
- Replicas of the grotto, Stations of the Cross, Rosary Hill, and prayer labyrinth
- Supported entirely by private donations (501(c)(3) charity)
History
The property was originally Harms' Farm, a 19th-century vineyard famous for 'Euclid grapes.' Julia Harms reported an apparition of the Blessed Mother on the land, and on her deathbed asked that if the family ever sold the property it be dedicated to Mary. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd acquired the land around 1919–1920, and after a 1922 pilgrimage to Lourdes were given a piece of the original grotto stone by a Dominican priest. The shrine was dedicated by Archbishop Joseph Schrembs on Trinity Sunday, May 30, 1926, and taken over by the Trinitarian Sisters in 1952 with the approval of Archbishop Edward F. Hoban.
- Original land: Harms family vineyard (19th century)
- Acquired by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd c. 1919–1920
- Relic of Lourdes stone received in France, 1922
- Dedicated by Archbishop Joseph Schrembs, Trinity Sunday, May 30, 1926
- Named a national American shrine in 1928
- Transferred to the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity in 1952
The Lourdes Stone Relic
The shrine's most distinctive treasure is a genuine piece of the rock on which the Blessed Mother is said to have stood when she appeared to St. Bernadette. A Dominican priest gave the relic to the sisters on their 1922 pilgrimage to France. The main fragment is embedded in the grotto rock with water flowing over it; additional slivers are embedded in a sculptured marble 'book' near the statue and preserved in the gift shop.
- Authentic relic of the Lourdes apparition stone
- Water flows over the relic into a pool
- Additional slivers embedded in marble and preserved in gift shop
Architecture and Grounds
The shrine and grotto are carved from imported Italian (Carrara) marble. The central statue depicts the Immaculate Conception. The 18-acre wooded site also features a chapel, the Sisters' convent/motherhouse, Rosary Hill, the Stations of the Cross, a prayer labyrinth, and the St. Ann Dining Hall.
- Italian Carrara marble grotto and statue
- Wooded site with Stations of the Cross and Rosary Hill
- Prayer labyrinth on the grounds
- St. Ann Dining Hall (food service and event catering)
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
Mass is celebrated seven days a week, either in the chapel or outdoors around the grotto. The indoor and outdoor seasons differ slightly, with outdoor Masses around the grotto running from the first Sunday in May through the last Sunday in October. Tuesday afternoons include weekly Eucharistic Adoration.
- Outdoor Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM (May–October, weather permitting)
- Indoor Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM (November–April)
- Weekday Mass Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri at 7:00 AM; Tuesday at 5:00 PM
- Saturday Mass at 8:00 AM
- Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration 3:30–4:30 PM
Devotions
Outdoor devotions during the warm months include Stations of the Cross and Rosary and Benediction on Sunday afternoons, as well as occasional novenas and rosary processions.
- Stations of the Cross — Sunday 3:00 PM (outdoor season)
- Rosary and Benediction — Sunday 4:00 PM (outdoor season)
- Novenas and rosary processions (seasonal)
100th Anniversary — 2026
The shrine is celebrating its centennial throughout 2026. The observances began on Sunday, May 31, 2026, when Bishop Edward Malesic of the Diocese of Cleveland celebrated the 9:30 a.m. Mass followed by a meet-and-greet reception in St. Ann's Dining Hall. A second major visit will take place on Sunday, October 25, 2026, with Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost celebrating Mass, Benediction, and the Rosary.
- Centennial kickoff: May 31, 2026 — Bishop Edward Malesic
- Centennial visit: October 25, 2026 — Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost
Visiting and Pilgrimages
The shrine is open to all visitors and welcomes school groups, bus tours, and individuals year-round. Group visits, school trips, and event catering through the St. Ann Dining Hall can be arranged by calling the shrine office. Bottled water from the grotto spring is available for purchase in the gift shop.
- Grounds open all year, dawn to dusk
- School groups, bus tours, and prayer groups welcome
- Free on-site parking
- Bottled Lourdes water available in the gift shop
Gift Shop
The gift shop carries holy cards, books, rosaries, religious jewelry, medals, candles, indoor and outdoor statues, crafts made by the Sisters, and bottled water that flows over the relic stone in the grotto. It is a popular stop for First Communion, Confirmation, Baptism, and Wedding gifts.
- Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM; Sun 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Phone: 216-481-0900
- Special-occasion gifts available year-round
The Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity
The Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity (Trinitarian Sisters) were founded in 1762 in Rome by St. John Baptist de Rossi for the glorification of the Most Holy Trinity and the education of girls. They came to the United States in 1920 to teach Italian immigrants and now operate schools including St. Rocco's School on Cleveland's west side. Of roughly 21 U.S. members, about 15 live in the convent adjacent to the shrine, which also serves as their U.S. provincialate/motherhouse.
- Founded in Rome, 1762
- Came to the United States, 1920
- Operate St. Rocco's School (Cleveland)
- Motherhouse / U.S. provincialate on the shrine grounds
Is This a Parish?
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is not a parish and does not have parishioners. Baptisms, Confirmations, First Holy Communions, and Marriages cannot be celebrated at the shrine — pilgrims must arrange those sacraments through their home parish. The Sisters also cannot provide extra consecrated Hosts to take home; visitors needing to bring Communion to the sick should coordinate with their own parish and a designated Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
- Not a parish — no sacramental registration
- Sacraments of initiation and marriage handled through home parishes
- No extra Hosts permitted to be taken home after Mass
Contact and Location
The shrine is on Chardon Road in Euclid, Ohio, about a mile from Interstate 90. The phone number for the shrine is 216-481-8232 and the gift shop is 216-481-0900. General correspondence goes to [email protected].
- Address: 21281 Chardon Road, Euclid, Ohio 44117
- Shrine phone: 216-481-8232
- Gift Shop phone: 216-481-0900
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.srstrinity.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Sister Phyllis Anne (Phyllis Ann) Lavelle, OSSTcurrent
Local superior of the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity and current shrine administrator.
- Sister Rochelle, OSSTcirca 2010
Spoke to The Plain Dealer / cleveland.com about the shrine's history.