A Place of Sanctuary
Bringing The Grotto to You
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Day 66: Architecture of The Grotto |
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Architecture of The Grotto
The buildings at The Grotto were built over the course of almost an entire century. From St. Anne's Chapel, built in 1934, to the Shrine to Our Lady of Lavang, built in 2016, the unique style of each structure adds to the wonder of The Grotto.
We hope you enjoy today's tour of the magnificent architecture of The Grotto.
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The Marilyn Moyer Meditation Chapel (1991)
The Meditation Chapel rises from the north face of Rocky Butte, facing the panoramic vista of the Columbia River, which separates the beautiful states of Oregon and Washington. Mt. St. Helens looms in the distance. On a clear day, Mt. Rainier is also visible.
The building was designed by Thompson Vaivoda and Associates, and has received both national and international architectural awards, including a 1992 Grand Award for Engineering Excellence from the American Engineers Council
The chapel is 1,500 square feet in size, built of polished granite and glass walls. When you are inside the building, you are physically looking out from the top portion of a large cross that is lit up at night. The cross can be seen from quite a distance as you travel South on I-205.
The chapel was built in memory of Marilyn Moyer as a gift to The Grotto from her husband, Tom Moyer, and the Moyer children. Recognizing her life-long devotion to the Blessed Mother, this chapel will remain forever a place where all may come for peaceful meditation.
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Our Lady of Lavang Shrine (2016)
This shrine is one of the newer shrines at The Grotto. Located in the Upper Gardens, the Shrine to Our Lady of Lavang is one of five wayside shrines found on the multicultural shrine path.
The construction of this impressive shrine was organized by the members of the Vietnamese community and the Southeast Asian Vicariate in the Archdiocese of Portland.
The shrine was designed by Tam Tran and built by HK Development in the spring and summer of 2016.
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This shrine honors Mary and her apparition to the faithful Vietnamese Catholics as they hid in the jungle during the final years of the 18th century to avoid persecution for their faith. The Virgin Mary gave them courage and hope, and in the following years, the faithful built a church to give thanks to God for the apparition of the Mother of God. |
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Chapel of Mary (1955)
The Chapel of Mary began construction in 1953. It was designed by L.L. Dougan of Dougan & Heims, Architects. The rock used to build it came from the Rocky Butte Quarry.
An arcade was built at the same time as the chapel, and the doors under the arcade led to a gift shop. Since then, a new gift shop was built by our main entrance, and this spot was turned into a Visitor Center. On the north side of the Chapel is a 110-foot bell tower, crowned with a dome and cross.
Behind the bronze doors the Chapel seats approximately 500 people. The main ceiling vaults to over 50 feet.
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The Chapel of Mary was dedicated in 1955 by Portland Archbishop Edward D. Howard. |
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Dambana (2008)
Dambana is a Filipino word for "altar." This shrine is a sanctuary that brings together the faith and culture of the Filipino people.
Its roof is shaped like a salakot, a traditional Filipino wide-brimmed hat. Its walls are made of capiz, a flat seashell commonly used on windows in Filipino homes.
The Dambana was designed by Hermes Mallari.
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The shrine is a testimony to the bayanihan (community collaborative spirit) of the Filipino people in Oregon and SW Washington, who built this shrine in partnership with The Grotto.
The shrine was dedicated in October of 2008.
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Monastery of Our Sorrowful Mother (1936)
The Monastery is the home of the Servite Friars who minister at the Grotto. In the early years, the Servite community lived in a house off the property on Beech Street, but in 1935 the foundation was laid for this permanent dwelling.
The monastery was completed in 1936 and can accommodate up to twelve priests and brothers. The rock exterior is sandstone from Winlock, Washington.
The monastery was renovated in 1985 through the generous donations of many. In 1990, a convent was built behind the monastery which houses four Sisters from the Congregation of Oblates of St. Martha, based in Saltillo, Mexico.
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Visitors to The Grotto Upper Gardens get the pleasure of viewing the exterior of this beautiful monastery, as they walk through the rose garden in its front yard. |
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Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine (2016)
This shrine is one of the newer shrines at The Grotto. Located in the Upper Gardens, the Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, is one of five wayside shrines found on the multicultural shrine path.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas, and additionally the Patroness of the Knights of Columbus Organization.
Members of Knights Councils in Oregon coordinated the construction of this shrine in 2016, in cooperation with the local Hispanic community.
The mission-style shrine was designed by Tony Klein. Local mosaic artists Hector Hernandez and Mark Brody designed and assembled the mosaics at the shrine.
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The mosaics in this shrine tell the story of Our Lady's appearance on December 12, 1531, to Juan Diego, an Aztec Indian who had converted to the Catholic faith. |
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St. Anne's Chapel (1934)
This small chapel honors St. Anne, the mother of Mary.
Built in 1934 to house the Blessed Sacrament during the first United State Marian Congress, it is the oldest building at The Grotto. The building continued to serve as a chapel until The Grotto's Chapel of Mary was built in 1955.
Now, St . Anne's Chapel houses numerous Madonna paintings from many countries.
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St. Anne is the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus.
Although not mentioned in the Bible, early Christian tradition held that Anne and Joachim were the parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus.
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Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish Shrine (2007)
This outdoor shrine contains a replica of the icon popularly know as the Black Madonna. The original icon, depicting Mary and her child Jesus, is darkened from the soot of candles and incense for centuries, and bears the scars of vandalism from the 15th century.
Battles won, territories protected, and countless healings have all been credited to prayer before the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa.
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This shrine was made possible in large part through the support of the local Polish community of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007, the year the shrine was built. |
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The Grotto Gift Shop
Set among towering trees and native shrubs, the Gift Shop greets all visitors entering from the main parking lot. This building was designed by Thompson Vaivoda & Associates and dedicated on February 5, 1995, by Portland Archbishop William J. Lavada.
When the Chapel of Mary was built in the 1950s, a gift shop was built where the current Visitor Center stands. Before that, a smaller gift shop served those who visited The Grotto.
While the buildings may have changed and the location of the shop moved, The Grotto Gift Shop has been serving the local community for more than 70 years.
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After being closed for several months, The Grotto Gift Shop is now open, under strict social distancing guidelines. |
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The Visitor Complex (1955/Rebuilt 2001)
In the early years the gift shop was housed where we now have the Visitor Center. The exterior arcade was built with the Chapel of Mary and still stands.
The plaza level of the building is designed to greet visitors to the grounds of The Grotto. In additional, information about the sanctuary, we host an art and history display as well as a video that tells the history of The Grotto in the theater.
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The lower level of the complex is home to The Grotto Conference Center, which hosts retreats, meetings, classes and special events. The space seats groups for up to 150. |
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We hope you enjoyed the tour
We look forward to seeing you all at The Grotto very soon.
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The Grotto
The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother
NE 85th & Sandy Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
503-254-7371
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