A magnificent sanctuary of majestic fir trees, quiet caves and refreshing waterfalls lies just minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon.  Amid 62 acres and 2 levels of breathtaking gardens, scenic views and gentle streams are over a dozen shrines, grottoes, chapels and monuments dedicated to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the sorrows of his mother, Mary.  I completely forgot I was in Portland, as I wandered peaceful paths, profuse with flowers and shaded by towering trees.  Even the incessant drizzle that is Oregon seemed rather enchanting in this setting.  The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, as The Grotto is also known,  began as a promise made by a little boy as he prayed to the Virgin Mary for his mother's life, who lay dying after giving birth to his little sister.  His mother (and sister) did live, and Father Ambrose Mayer embarked upon the building of The Grotto many years later, with little more than faith and a determination to keep his childhood promise.

We started out from the parking lot to the lower level and were stopped short of the welcome center by one of it's most spectacular features, Our Lady's Grotto, top picture.  This is a large, deep cave carved out of the rock face to hold a replica of Michaelangelo's "Pieta", showing our Sorrowful Mother Mary holding the lifeless body of her son Jesus, just removed from the cross.  Below the sculpture is an outdoor altar of native stone where Sunday Mass is celebrated Mother's Day through September. 

Also on the lower level is the Chapel of Mary, pictures above, which features exquisite hand painted murals on walls and cielings, intricate mosaics like the one of St. Anne above,  and many works of Carrara marble, including all the statues and the Stations of the Cross. 

Now we purchase an elevator token at the gift shop and ride 10 stories up to the upper level gardens.  Our first stop is the Meditation Chapel, with its glass walled view of Portland, the Columbia River, and Mount St. Helen's.  Deep intake of breath.  Were it not for today's haze and drizzle we might see Mt. Rainier as well.  If we came back to this spot tonight, it would be lit up and visible as a large cross to those travelling southbound on Interstate 205.

Now ready to begin our explorations, we enter St. Joseph's Grove.  It is guarded by a statue of St. Joseph holding the child Jesus.  A series of carved marble panels pays tribute to the joys and sorrows of the man chosen by God to be the foster father and protector of His Son Jesus during his childhood.

After contemplating the life of St. Joseph, we pass out of this garden into the next.  A sandstone monastery, with a convent behind it, house the Servite friars and sisters who minister at The Grotto.  The Peace Pole, a gift from Japan, marks The Grotto as an international place of peace.  The meandering paths and trickling stream of the Peace Garden provide the setting for the Mysteries of the Rosary, depicted on bronze plaques and grouped into the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries of the life of Mary, mother and most perfect disciple of Jesus.

Meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary in this way is most refreshing; we are now ready to begin the Via Matris, or The Way of Our Sorrowful Mother.  Each of the seven scenes is meant to reflect upon a particularly painful or difficult time in the life of the Holy Family.  The figures are housed in lighted glass cases, so that they may be enjoyed day or night.  We pass through this garden slowly and come out upon yet another garden. 

An authentic Lithuanian wayside shrine is dedicated to those who fought for Lithuania's freedom during World War ll.

As we complete our tour of the upper level, the life-sized bronze of St. Francis of Assissi reminds us of our own stewardship responsibilities.

We descend once again to the lower level, but not without first stopping in again at the Meditation Chapel and drinking in the view.

We now walk the Stations of the Cross, contemplating the suffering and death of Jesus, as we appreciate each bronze reminder, surrounded by ferns and mosses, flowers and trees. 

The bronze statue of Jesus carrying the cross gestures to the top of the cliff, where His Sorrowful Mother watches over The Grotto grounds and visitors. 

Lastly we behold the shrine of St. Philip Benizi, who fled to a cave in the mountains to escape being elected Pope.  There he lived a life of great prayer and penance.  The fountain from which he drank is said to have miraculous healing qualities.

Reluctantly we leave The Grotto and bravely face the hustle and bustle of Portland.  But with a difference.  Because of the few moments or hours spent there in the company of Our Lord and His Sorrowful Mother, we carry with us a greater sense of peace and serenity and of our calling to bring this gift with us into that world.

To plan your pilgrimage and for more information:

The Grotto

The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother

NE 85th and Sandy Blvd.

P.O. Box 20008

Portland, OR  97294-0008

503-254-7371

www.thegrotto.org