Wonder Cave Interior

James Smith Pierce

Additional Information

Father Phillip J. Wagner was a Catholic priest, who went through many rough patches to reach priesthood. Once ordained, he and his assistant, Edmund Rybicki, created a religious shrine that was later named the Rudolph Grotto Gardens and Wonder Cave. Inspired by his faith and following through on a promise to the Virgin Mary to create a religious shrine if he survived influenza, Father Wagner and Mr. Rybicki spent decades creating the shrines on the parish grounds of St. Philip the Apostle Church. Located in Wisconsin, the site consists of sculptures made out of rocks, plants, and figures that were important to him.

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