Blue Candles Added to Lourdes Grotto, Prayer Requests Taken

One of the most sacred prayer spaces on Duquesne’s campus has received a special upgrade, thanks to a generous alumnus, in conjunction with prayer requests that can be offered through Spiritan Campus Ministry.

Seven new blue candle holders were added to the historic Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto through a donation from Dennis Brenckle, a 1967 graduate of the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business. In addition, members of the Duquesne community who aren’t regularly on campus or who don’t live in Pittsburgh can now submit a prayer for themselves or others to be offered each week at the Lourdes Grotto.

A detailed prayer request and intentions can be conveniently submitted via an online form. The prayers will be offered at the Grotto each week by a Spiritan Campus Ministry staff member, who will light a candle there to represent the prayer request.

Hand-built by Spiritans and fraternity members in 1956, the iconic Grotto was thoroughly restored and rededicated in 2019. Brenckle, an alumni brother of the Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and his wife Patricia were principal benefactors of the effort, with additional financial support from Highmark Health.

“We remain grateful to and humbled by Denny and Patty’s deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and abiding generous support of the Grotto. The 2019 restoration and renovation was long overdue,” Jim Miller, interim vice president of University advancement, said. “The ongoing support of the Brenckle family allows us to maintain the Grotto in meticulous fashion and clearly has attracted the interest and support of others who share their faith and devotion.”

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors regularly spend time at the Grotto, located in the hillside next to the Administration Building, for quiet reflection and prayer. It is a special spot on campus dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Removed from campus traffic, the space overlooks the Bluff and Pittsburgh as an outward sign of the University community’s deep faith. It also is one of the many ways Duquesne helps to enrich the journey of our students and those who have come to campus before them.

The renovated Grotto honors the memory of Brenckle’s mother, Helen Dorothy Spock Brenckle, who, as a young widow, attended classes at Duquesne that prepared her for a 35-year career as a Catholic school teacher. Her Duquesne legacy has since extended to her son, his son, a niece, a nephew and his wife, all of whom attended the University.