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Above: The Grotto means so much to our family that it is often the backdrop for our annual Christmas card.
I took my first job out of college in 1995 and worked at The Grotto. Father Jack had connected with the University of Portland to see if there might be some potential candidates that might want to work at The Grotto. I got the job, which turned out to be a really undefined position, but I largely worked on the Christmas Festival of Lights, and with that team. I worked every night of December in the cold and the wet and the rain to welcome visitors from all over to the miracle of the Festival of Lights. In the times that were slower, I helped Sister Ruth plan weddings and very special occasions at The Grotto.
In the year's followihg, my ties and bond to The Grotto were significant and strong. While my husband and I were not married at The Grotto, Father Jack did celebrate our wedding at St. Rose right down the road. I was connected at the core to the people and the place.
In the years to come, I brought my own children to this very special place - The Grotto. My husband even built benches in the Upper Garden which we sit on still to this day!
We still volunteer every year. We still come to Festival of Lights every year. We still come to Mass there - indoor and outdoor. And we still bring our dog, Lucy, for a blessing every year at the Blessing of the Animals.
The Grotto is forever in our hearts - thank you for the beautiful and spiritual place you have given us.
Below: Benches in the Upper Gardens.
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