The Grotto. Ideal Destination for Adoration, Reconciliation & Renewal. For Residents of CA, WA, OR, ID, In This Year of Jubilee

For Residents of CA, WA, OR, ID,

In This Year of Jubilee, the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of Jesus, the Grotto Is an ideal destination, not only for vacation. but also for Adoration, Prayer, Reconciliation and Renewal - unless you have your own Grotto and Live Rosarium.

During the Jubilee Year of 2025, Catholics can receive indulgences through prayer, works of mercy, and pilgrimages. The Jubilee Year is a time of reconciliation and renewal, and is the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of Jesus.Prayer:

• Pray for the intentions of the Pope
• Pray for the full mercy of God for those who have passed away

Works of mercy

• Visit prisoners, Spend time with the elderly, Help the sick or disabled, and Help those in need.

Pilgrimages

• Visit at least one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome: St. Peter's Basilica, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, or St. Mary Major
• Other ways to receive indulgences Confess sins, Receive Holy Communion, and Have a complete detachment from sin.

The Vatican's Office of the Apostolic Penitentiary has stated that Catholics can receive up to two plenary indulgences per day for the poor souls in Purgatory.

The concept of Jubilee comes from the Book of Leviticus, and has been celebrated by the Catholic Church since 1300. The Jubilee Year was instituted in 1300 and normally held every 25 years, a Jubilee Year is, in the Vatican’s words, “a year of forgiveness of sins and also the punishment due to sin, it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries, of conversion and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and consequently of solidarity, hope, justice, commitment to serve God with joy and in peace with our brothers and sisters.”

The Grotto

The National Sanctuary of our Sorrowful Mother, popularly known as The Grotto, is a Catholic outdoor altar and sanctuary located in the Madison South district of Portland, Oregon, founded in 1924 by Servite Fr. Ambrose Mayer. It's mission is to forever be a place where the human spirit can seek peace and consolation it " embraces and supports people of all cultures and all faiths who seek a place of prayer and meditation; The Grotto values the dignity of everyone."

The sanctuary covers 62 acres  set both at the foot of, and atop, a 110 foot cliff. It is a ministry of the Servite Friars, Order of Friar Servants of Mary. A large meditation hall is at clifftop level extends down to the foot of the cliff; the cross on the hill is visible many miles away. In addition to a church, there are several thousand feet of trails, including a trail of the Stations of the Cross, along which visitors may pass in contemplation through botanical gardens. The Grotto also features a full-service Conference Center, and a Gift Shop.

The Grotto offers a sanctuary of peace, prayer and natural beauty for all people.

Work began on The Grotto in September 1923, and the first Mass was celebrated less than a year later, on May 29, 1924. Three thousand people came to the Mass, during which Archbishop Alexander Christie offered this prayer:

“Let this be a sanctuary of peace for all peoples of the earth and surely in this day a sanctuary is needed. Torn with differences, strife, and grief, the world needs sanctuary where the human spirit can seek peace and consolation.”

Since then, millions have come to this beautiful spot, designated a national sanctuary in 1983.

The Grotto Funder: Fr. Ambrose Mayer

The Grotto was established in 1924 by Friar Ambrose Mayer, a native of Ontario, Canada, who was sent to the United States where he was a Servite pastor for the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon.  When Mayer’s mother was close to death after giving birth to his little sister, he begged God to spare her life. He promised that if she survived, he would someday do something great for the Church. His mother lived!

As the first Servite pastor of the Archdiocese of Portland, Father Ambrose kept his eyes open for an opportunity to fulfill his promise and give glory to God and his Mother, Mary. When he spotted a “for sale” sign next to an unkempt patch of wilderness previously used by a railroad as a quarry, he knew the land was perfect. The asking price was $48,000 — no small amount, for Father Ambrose only had $3,000, but he was no stranger to miracles and he trusted in God. Father Ambrose offered his 1%, which was surprisingly accepted as a down payment, but still had to raise the other $45,000.  God gave him a helping hand. Pope Pius XI wrote a letter — in his own handwriting — giving a special apostolic blessing to those who, “in any way or measure, show their good will and assist in erecting the Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother in Portland.”

A national campaign raised the balance of the funds needed to pay for the land.

Born in Canada, Ambrose joined the Friar Servants of Mary in 1918. The religious order of priests also known as the Servite Order was founded in Florence, Italy, in the middle of the 13th century by seven men who sought to lead lives of penance and prayer. The order’s goal is to sanctify humanity through devotion to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, under her title of Mother of Sorrows. They wear black habits and follow the Rule of St. Augustine. Their most well-known saint is St. Peregrine, patron saint of those with cancer.