Your Sanctuary of Peace: Day 26

Today's Hours of Operation

Grounds: 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Gift Shop: 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Recitation of the Rosary

11:30 a.m.

Chapel of Mary

Daily Mass

12 noon

Chapel of Mary

Priest Office Hours

10-11:45 a.m. and

3-5 p.m.

Office is located inside the Visitor Center.

Guided Tour Opportunity

The Grotto is offering a guided tour on Monday, April 29 at 1 p.m.

Enjoy a lovely spring stroll through the gardens while learning about The Grotto's history. This tour will take place rain or shine.

Sign up for a spot by clicking the link below. You will be prompted to pay for your ticket to the Upper Garden at the end of the sign up. For more information, please contact events@thegrotto.org.

Space is limited.

Click here to register.

Mass, Lunch & Learn

Join us every month for this special series. Gather in the Auditorium (directly under the Chapel of Mary) immediately after the noon Mass for lunch and a featured speaker discussing a new topic each month. Lunch will be provided. Attendance limited to 15 people, sign up required.

Tuesday, May 7 – Erin Peters, Executive Director of Northwest Catholic Counseling Center

Erin will talk about some of the mental health challenges currently facing our community. She will also address how The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center is working on these issues with values of justice and service at their core.

Your Sanctuary of Peace

As part of our Centennial celebration, we would like to share a piece of the sanctuary with you each day in April. We hope you will enjoy learning more about each feature, and find joy and peace by viewing the photographs.

Today: The Rhododendrons

The Most Colorful Weeks of the Year

The weeks leading up to Mother's Day tend to be the most colorful weeks of the year at The Grotto. While a few of our rhododendrons began blooming in late March, the majority peak at this time.

The Earliest Rhododendrons

The Grotto was founded by Servite Fr. Ambrose Mayer in 1924. Fr. Ambrose was born in Kitchener, Ontario, and was friends with Robert Butchart of the celebrated Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C.

Mr. Butchart spent two years assisting in the design of the sanctuary, and brought many plants, including rhododendrons, from his own gardens.

The Rhododendron

Rhododendron, Ancient Greek for Rose Tree, is a genus of over 1,000 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). While most are found in Asia, they are widespread throughout the lowland and mountain forests of the Pacific Northwest, California and the highlands of the Appalachian Mountains.

The rhododendron is the state flower of Washington and West Virginia.

Most species have brightly colored flowers which bloom anywhere from late winter through the spring.

Azaleas are a subgenera of the rhododendron. They are distinguished from a true rhododendron by having only five anthers per flower. An anther is the part of a stamen that contains the pollen.

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.

A Lovely Spot to Sit

We invite you all to visit and enjoy sitting among God's glorious creation.

A Palette of Color

The variety of colors found in the blooms is a feast for the eyes. These photos were all taken in The Grotto's beautiful gardens.

A Tour of the Rhodies

We hope you will enjoy this tour of some of The Grotto's popular rhododendrons.

We hope you are enjoying the series "Your Sanctuary of Peace".

Tomorrow: The Cliff and Elevator.

Gift Shop Hours: 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

The Grotto Gift Shop has a wide variety of items for Confirmation and First Holy Communion, along with an assortment of books, Rosaries, cards, medals, jewelry, home decor, yummy treats, and gifts.

Online Shop