Siena College Chaplain Fr. Larry Anderson, O.F.M. offered a blessing of Siena's more than 300 student athletes at the newly constructed Grotto adjacent to the Marcelle Athletic Complex Thursday afternoon.

The Grotto was dedicated at a ceremony last October and has quickly developed into a signature location on campus for those looking to reflect in a peaceful setting.

It is modeled after the famous shrine in Lourdes, France where, in the 19th century, the Blessed Mother appeared to a peasant 14-year-old girl who would later become St. Bernadette. Siena's grotto incorporates the spirit of the original with a miniature stream and candles sheltered under a stone arch.

Br. F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph.D., Siena's president, said that the water feature is intended to remind people of the constant need to be refreshed, renewed and cleansed, while the candles symbolize light and the search for truth.

The Grotto at Siena College includes a statue of Mary from the original Siena grotto that was dedicated in 1947 in remembrance of veterans and those who had fallen in World War II, including 36 Siena men who made the supreme sacrifice.

Statues of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi and St. Bernardine of Siena are also included in the new Grotto's design.

The Grotto at Siena College is located on Turchi Road directly across from the turf athletic field behind the Fr. Benjamin Kuhn, O.F.M. House.