The Grotto, Portland, Oregon

We finally made it to Portland on October 23rd, the fifth day after we left home. We encountered the first rains as we drove across the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. It rained almost every day that we were in Portland but it usually cleared up and some days were even sunny. One of the wettest days was the day we visited The Grotto, The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother.

I read about The Grotto on a traveler's website and thought it would be an interesting place to visit. Some of our friends from Alabama had arrived by then and they being Catholic, I thought they might enjoy it too. I am probably the LEAST religious person on earth but I thoroughly enjoyed this place and Michael says that he would list it as one of his favorite places in Portland. It was incredibly beautiful and peaceful. Of course, the entire time I was there I was thinking of Jennifer Jones in "The Song of Bernadette"!

Giant fir trees line a pathway that lead to the shrine at the grotto. The grotto itself is nestled into the base of a 110-ft. tall cliff. A chapel is located near the grotto. Services are held here and sometimes, on good weather days, they are held directly in front of the grotto. 

An elevator takes you to the top of the cliff where a meditation chapel, a monastery, religious artwork, shrines and an incredible 62-acre botanical garden awaits.  

The paths leading up to the grotto were lined with massive fir trees.

The grotto is carved into the base of a 110 ft. tall cliff.

An elevator takes you to the top of the cliff where an observation tower offers a great view as well as artworks.

The Meditation Chapel at the top of the cliff has a panoramic view of the Columbia River and Mt. St. Helens

The Monastery was built in 1936 and is home to the Servite Friars. The Monastery can accommodate up to twelve priests and brothers. The rock exterior is sandstone from Washington State.  The Monastery was condemned in 1985 and the interior structure was gutted and renovated.

Winding pathways weave through fir trees, mature shrubs (including many large rhododendrons) and water features.

This is the statue at the top of the cliff. You can see the top of it in the previous photograph taken from below.

Another view from the top.

This area is called "The Peace Garden".

The little red chapel honors St. Anne, the mother of Mary.  Built in 1934 to house the Blessed Sacrament during the first United States Marian Congress, it continued to serve as a chapel before the Chapel of Mary was built.  It now houses numerous Madonna paintings from many countries.

Along the pathway are little display buildings that house wood carvings depicting events in the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The states are carved out of white pine and are the work of Professor Heider of Pietralba, Italy. The statues were recently restored.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy