Rock History

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• ROCK
  
  This  large  rock  upon  which  rests  the  beautiful  statue  of  Jesus  and  Mary  was  carried  to  its  present  location  by  the  Wisconsin  Glacier  approximately  20,000  years  ago.    the  leading  edge  of  this  glacier  was  1,000  feet  thick  and  to  the  north  in  Connecticut  the  glacier  was  a  mile  in  thickness.
  
  Before  this  mass  of  ice  appeared,  Long  Island  was  a  long  spit  of  sand  deposited  by  a  fresh  water  river  running  down  from  the  eroding  Catskill  mountains,  which  millions  of  years  age  were  extremely  high.
  
  When  the  glacier  arrived,  the  Atlantic  Ocean  was  some  75  miles  further  to  the  south;  due  to  the  fact  that  much  of  the  Earth's  water  was  locked  up  in  the  ice  flow.    
  
  Approximately  15,000  years  ago  the  climate  changed  and  the  glacier  began  to  melt  and  retreat  northward  leaving  this  Rock,  the  surrounding  hills,  Shelter  Rock,  Bald  Hill,  Jayne's  Hill  and  the  Terminal  Ronkonkoma  Moraine  as  deposits  left  behind.
  
  The  Shrine  Rock,  that  you  see  before  you,  stands  15  feet  high,  30  feet  across  and  weighs  between  300  and  400  tons.
  
  The  statue  of  Jesus  and  Mary  was  carved  in  Barre,  Vermont  by  two  Italian  sculptors  out  of  one  40  ton    block  of  granite.    It  is  17  1/2  feet  high  and  was  placed  upon  the  Rock  by  a  crane  in  1975.
  
  Our  Lady's  crown  is  32  1/2  feet  above  the  surface  surrounding  the  Rock.
  
  Due  to  the  high  elevation  upon  which  the  Rock  and  statue  stand  it  is  possible  to  see  over  20  miles  in  a  southerly  direction.    the  view  includes  Moriches  Bay,  Dune  Road  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean.
  
  The  outdoor  Mass  at  the  Shrine  begins  at  11:30AM  every  Sunday  from  the  end  of  April  through  the  middle  of  October,  weather  permitting.
  
  Please  come  and  join  us  for  a  beautiful  and  rewarding  day  at  the  Shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Island.
  
  

• Audio

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