Bringing The Grotto to You

A Place of Sanctuary

"Stay Home, Stay Healthy" Order

In accordance with the Governor's order Friday evening for all citizens to "Stay home, Stay healthy," The Grotto has made the very difficult decision to temporarily close.

We are unsure when we will reopen at this time, but we promise to open our chapel, gardens and shops as soon as possible.

We will keep everyone up-to-date in our daily emails.

We will certainly need your support to bridge the gap while we are closed. Stay tuned for more updates and ways you can help.

Series continues

While we are closed, we will continue to share a piece of The Grotto with you each day until Masses resume and our gardens open.

We hope this feature, A Place of Sanctuary: Bringing The Grotto to You , brings you joy, and we pray we will see you all at The Grotto very soon.

Today, we are bringing our glorious gardens to you. May you, too, experience the peace our visitors and pilgrims encounter in the spiritual and natural beauty of our holy sanctuary.

Day 6: Spring in the Garden

The Grotto Upper Gardens

The Grotto is a 62-acre sanctuary located at the north face of Rocky Butte. A 110-foot cliff separates the lower level from the scenic Upper Gardens. Most of The Grotto's property is on the upper level.

The gardens are surrounded by a forest of tall fir trees. At this time of year, the gardens really begin to come to life.

A Spring Prayer

Father, the beauty of your creative power has burst forth in the colors and smells of Spring bringing joy to all.

May we expand this beauty in the way we lovingly care for each other.

Amen.

The Peace Garden

The Peace Garden, located in the Upper Gardens, is scenic throughout the year, but in the spring, the sensation of new life is refreshing and inspiring.

It is hard to believe you are in the middle of a city when strolling the paths, or sitting on a bench, in the Peace Garden.

A Prayer for Today

Lord, I rejoice in your beauty that shines forth in the joyful colors and smells of Spring. But, Father, as I feel renewed by the beauty of Spring, I am concerned about my family and friends at this uneasy moment.

Bless us with good health, a loving spirit and a joyful attitude as we move through this present health concern.

Amen.

A message from Fr. Don Siple, OSM, Rector of The Grotto

Dear Friends,

We Servite Friars miss praying with you at Mass at The Grotto. Be assured that each day you and your family are prayerfully remembered in prayer.

Please send us your prayer requests and the names of those we can pray for in the days and weeks ahead.

We love you and wish the Lord’s blessings upon you.

Click here to find the prayer request form.

Spring Update

Spring is finally here and after a fairly mild winter the grounds are displaying vivid color and filling the air with fragrance. Near the plaza area we have winter daphne in full bloom and skimmia about to open. Both of these shrubs are very fragrant and a sure sign that winter is on the way out.

The daffodils we planted two years ago at the entry to the Peace Garden are up and in full display, and the bulbs we planted last fall are all showing signs that they, too, survived the winter and will be joining the others in putting on a show of color.

Another native early spring flowering plant that we have a great abundance of are trilliums; they can be seen growing along our pathways and out into the forest. We have a few early blooming rhododendrons near the St. Francis statue, an early introduction of things to come from our other varieties which will be in bloom from mid-April through May. The roses in the rose garden have been pruned back and are putting on new growth.

Speaking of new growth, the weeds also enjoyed the mild winter and are coming up in great abundance. Weed removal is something we address year-round but especially in the early spring; it’s best to remove them when they are small and before they go to seed. Moss is also something that we tackle this time of year. With the abundant shade and moisture that we have here, and the many miles of pathways and paved areas, it’s a challenge to keep it under control. We also contend with moss in our turf, but rather than trying to completely eliminate it, we work to keep it under control by using lime, and in some cases thatching.

I have noticed that just before sunrise the chorus of birds is gaining in volume with what seems like each passing day. The hummingbirds have also been seen visiting the many plants that are in bloom. In our Peace Garden we have a pair of mallard ducks that are nesting nearby. They appear every year about this time and before long we should see ducklings enjoying the various pools. The bees have definitely come out of hibernation and can be seen visiting the various blooms.

Spring has sprung here at The Grotto and I encourage everyone to visit our grounds and enjoy what nature has to offer.

- Mark

The Grotto's Famous Rhododendrons

In April and May, The Grotto is exploding with color from the hundreds of rhododendrons on both the lower and upper levels.

The variety of colors is amazing.

Spring sensations

Spring is a time of year when you can feel fully immersed in the gardens. The colors are vivid, the smells are refreshing, the brooks babble, and the birds sing wherever you go.

We hope to see you all at The Grotto to enjoy the gardens very soon.