Milk Grotto

The Milk Grotto is a sacred site for Christians. According to tradition, while Mary and Joseph escape Herod's soldiers after the Slaughter of the Innocents, they stooped in a cave. In this cave, Mary nursed baby Jesus. A drop of Mary's milk fell on a rock, which turned white. The site was recognized by a proclamation of Pope Gregory XI in 1375. Franciscans built a church around the Grotto in 1872. Many new mothers and women trying to conceive visit the site to pray for their children and maternal problems. The Milk Grotto testifies that Mary is the Mother of God (a caring and protective mother). The Milk Grotto testifies that Jesus had a human nature (all babies need to be nursed).