Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette - Twin Lakes, Wisconsin

(Photo provided/www.lasaletteshrine.org)

Destination: Near Lake Geneva, Wis., in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the Missionaries of La Salette have built a shrine. It recalls an apparition of the Blessed Virgin, an event which inspired the foundation of their order.
Mass in the shrine chapel is at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday.
Why to go:  In September 1846, Melanie  and Maximin, shepherds in the French Alps, saw a “beautiful lady,” cloaked in light. She was weeping, and she told them of her love and concern for all her children, who, she said, needed to come back to God.
She encouraged them to pray well — “at night and in the morning, even if you say only an Our Father and a Hail Mary when you can’t do better” — and to go to Mass.
When the Missionaries of La Salette came to Wisconsin, they built a replica of the shrine in the Alps that they had left behind.
With advance reservations, the shrine offers group pilgrimages. Families and individuals are welcome without notice.
Special events: Friday through Sunday, 5-9 p.m., beginning Dec. 5 and continuing through Jan. 1, the shrine will hold its annual Festival of Lights.
Amenities: There is a gift shop at the shrine, as well as nearby public lodging.
Access: The shrine is on rolling ground. Paths may be difficult, especially after a snowfall.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children saw Our Lady at La Salette, and are more than welcome at the shrine. To introduce them to the story, check the video on the Web site. (It’s an old video, but it gets the story across.)
Info: Address — La Salette Missionaries and Shrine, 10330  336th Ave., P.O. Box 777, Twin Lakes, WI 53181.  Phone — 262/877-3373, ext. 151. Web — www.lasaletteshrine.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Shrine of the ‘Snowshoe Priest’ - L’ Anse, Michigan

(Observer photo by Amanda Hudson)

Destination: West of Marquette, Mich., between the towns of  Baraga and L’ Anse along U.S. Hwy. 41 is one of several sites that chronicle the history of Bishop Frederic Baraga. Look for the shrine’s “teepees” on the south side of the highway.
Masses at nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in L’Anse are at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
Why to go: The Shrine of the “Snowshoe Priest” features a statue of the bishop holding a pair of 26-foot tall snowshoes. Rising six stories above Red Rocks Bluff, the shrine overlooks virgin hardwoods, scenic coastline and the oldest mountains, geologically, in the world.
Five 9-foot-6-inch concrete teepees, each representing an Indian mission started by Bishop Baraga, hold curved wood beams that meet at a stainless steel cloud 25 feet above the ground. Atop the cloud is the 35-foot tall Bishop Baraga statue, snowshoes in his left hand and a 7-foot cross in his right.
Father Frederic Baraga, also called the Apostle of the Great Lakes, left present-day Slovenia in 1830 to come to the Great Lakes area to teach the native people about God. He traveled throughout the Upper Peninsula by canoe and on foot — wearing snowshoes in winter — to find, teach and celebrate sacraments for the Ottawa and Chippewa people. He established chapels and schools. He learned the Ottawa and Chippewa languages and wrote a Chippewa grammar and dictionary still used today. He became the first bishop of the Upper Peninsula, serving also the immigrants who came to work the copper mines.
Healings have been attributed to Bishop Baraga’s intercession, and the Bishop Baraga Association continues to promote his cause for canonization.
Ammenities: The grounds are always open. A gift and snack shop and restrooms are open 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, May 15-Oct. 15; Wednesday-Saturday, April 1-May 14 and Oct. 16-Dec. 24). The gift shop is known for pasties, a “yooper” (U-P) treat, which are served Thursday-Saturday.
Access: A quiet, unpaved road takes you back into the woods over railroad tracks and past piles of logs.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The kids will be impressed with the size of this bishop.
Info: Address — Shrine of The Snowshoe Priest, U.S. Hwy. 41, L’ Anse, Mich. Phone — 906/482-5240. Web — www.bishopbaraga.org

- Compiled by Amanda Hudson
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Monte Cassino Shrine - St. Meinrad, Indiana

(Photo from Saint Meinrad Archabbey)

Destination: A day’s drive from nearly anywhere in the Rockford Diocese, the Monte Cassino Shrine at St. Meinrad, Ind., is a great stop on a fall colors drive. The shrine is one mile east of Saint Meinrad Archabbey along Indiana 62.
During May and October, Mass is held at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Why to go:  “Surrounded by trees and panoramic views of the Anderson Valley,” the Web site reads, “the shrine, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a testament to the age-old tradition of seeking God.”
The shrine is also a testament to how a novena to Our Lady of Monte Cassino saved the people of St. Meinrad from an 1871 smallpox epidemic. To this day, seminarians hold an annual pilgrimage of thanksgiving at the shrine around Jan. 13.
The shrine, which began as a simple wayside niche that housed a lithographic print of Mary, is now built on native sandstone. Inside, above the altar, is a wooden statue of Mary and Jesus that was hand carved in Switzerland.
Special events: Each May and October, there are Marian pilgrimages at the Shrine.  Speakers and topics this month are: Oct. 3 — Father Sean Hoppe, OSB, “Mary, Queen of Peace”; Oct. 10 — Brother Maurus Zoeller, OSB, “Marian Shrines and Pilgrimages”; Oct. 17 — Father Prior Kurt Stasiak, OSB, “Mary, One Who Trusted the Lord”; Oct. 24 — Father Joseph Cox, OSB, “Mary, the Good Soil”; Oct. 31 — Father Pius Klein, OSB, “Mary, Mother of Faith.” The hour-long pilgrimages start at 2 p.m.
Ammenities: The Archabbey Guest House has rooms for visitors.
Access: The shrine chapel has a short step at the door and the abbey campus is on a picturesque, but hilly, 2,500 acres.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The Abbey is also home to a college and would be a great place for a “visit day” for high school students, especially young men considering the priesthood. Younger children, of course, are always welcome.
Info: Address — Monte Cassino Shrine, St. Meinrad Archabbey, 200 Hill Dr., St. Meinrad, IN 47577. Phone —800/581-6905. Web — www.saintmeinrad.edu

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha - Fonda, New York

(CNS photos/Nancy Wiechec)

Destination: Located in upstate New York, the National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha would make a wonderful stop on a fall colors tour of the northeast. Blessed Kateri will soon become the first Native American saint from the U.S. The shrine is open until Oct. 31 this year and will reopen next May.
Masses are 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Because of other pastoral duties, weekday Masses are not ordinarily offered at the Shrine.
Why to go: Blessed Kateri was born in 1656. Her parents and a brother died in a smallpox outbreak when she was  4 years old. Though she survived, she was scarred by the pox and left nearly blind. Because of her bad eyesight, she was called “Tekakwitha,” which means “she who bumps into things.”
Taken in by relatives, she was discouraged from her interest in Christianity. When she was 18, her uncle relented and told her she could study the faith. She was baptized on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1676, and received her first Communion on Christmas Day in 1677. On the Feast of the Annunciation in 1679, she made a vow of perpetual virginity, and offered herself as a daughter to the Virgin Mary.
A museum at the shrine features items representative of the Mohawk culture. About a quarter-mile up a hill from the museum is Caughnawagha, where the Mohawks lived for about 50 years. Blessed Kateri lived  and was baptized there. The site is fully excavated.
Father Thomas Grassmann, OFM Conv., started the shrine and museum in 1938. It is housed in a converted Dutch barn that was built in 1782.
Special events: Among fall events is a Native American Weekend, healing service and Kateri Cultural Festival scheduled Oct. 3.
Ammenities: A gift shop is open daily when the shrine is open (and online year-round).
Access: The shrine chapel has a second-floor entrance and may be difficult for some visitors to maneuver. The museum is on the ground floor.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children will, no doubt, enjoy learning about Mohawk culture and a Native American holy woman who became interested in the church as a young child.
Info: Address — National Kateri Shrine, P.O. Box 627, Fonda, NY 12068. Phone — 518/853-3646. Web — www.katerishrine.com

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld; CNS contributed to this story
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Hanover, Pennsylvania

(CNS photo/Chris Heisey and Emily
Albert, The Catholic Witness)

Destination: Before the United States was born, Catholics were worshiping in the Conewago area of Pennsylvania. Father James Pellentz — who would be Vicar General to Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore, when the diocese was founded in 1790 — oversaw the construction of a stone church that was the first in the Americas to be dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Just more than 10 miles from Gettysburg, any history vacation to Pennsylvania should include a stop at the basilica.
Masses are 7 a.m. Monday-Friday; 6:30 p.m. Saturday; 7:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday.
Why to go: There is considerable evidence that English Jesuits established a mission post in Hanover along the Conewago Creek in 1637.
In 1741, a log chapel was built and by 1784 the parish was serving more than a thousand faithful, making it the largest Catholic congregation in the country.
In 1787, the same year the U.S. Constitution was ratified, the larger church was completed, and it remains the oldest church in the nation built entirely of stone.
Pope John XXIII raised the church to the rank of minor basilica July 11, 1962.
Time-lapse photography captures stars circling over the basilica.
Access: The basilica and its parking area are accessible to the handicapped.
(Grand) Kid friendly: This is both a Catholic and an American history site, great for those “what I did on my summer vacation” questions when school starts.
Info: Address — Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 30 Basilica Dr., Hanover, PA 17331-8924. Phone —717/637-2721. Web — www.hbgdiocese.org; click on Parishes & Missions and on About the Diocese, Growth of Catholicism Geographically, and Conewago Area.

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis - New Orleans, Louisiana

(Observer photo by Amanda Hudson)

Destination: Formally known as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis King of France, this New Orleans, La., church is the oldest, continuously-operating cathedral in the United States. It has been a parish since 1720.
Masses are 7:30  a.m. Monday-Saturday, 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday.
Why to go: In the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, the spires of the church rise over Jackson Square and can be seen from the opposite side of the Mississippi River. A small wooden church, built in 1718, was the first on the site. The Great New Orleans Fire of 1788 destroyed the second church, a brick and timber building finished in 1727. Construction of the third church on the site took place between 1789 and 1794. It was expanded and remodeled in 1850. Both Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral.
On one side of the cathedral is the Old Ursuline Convent. Built in 1752, it is the only building from the French colonial period still standing in the United States. On the other side of the church, across Pirates Alley, is the Cabildo, site of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase, and a state museum. Both the convent and the Cabildo are open for tours.
When you’ve toured to your heart’s content, cross Jackson Square for a beignet at Cafe du Monde.
Ammenities: There are gift shops in the cathedral and the convent.
Access: Walking to the cathedral is easy from anywhere in the French Quarter. Be careful, there are some loose cobblestones in the walkways and a few steps to climb.
(Grand) Kid friendly: All of these sites are kid-friendly.
Info: Address — Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis King of France,  615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116-3291. Phone — 504/525-9585. Web — www.stlouiscathedral.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Mother Cabrini Shrine - Colorado Golden, Colorado

(CNS photo)

Destination: Mother Cabrini Shrine Colorado is located at the site where, shortly after the turn of the 20th century, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini established an orphanage.
Masses are 7:30  a.m. Monday-Saturday and 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday.
Why to go: In the Rockford Diocese, most people probably associate Mother Cabrini with her work in Chicago. But in 1902, she traveled to Colorado to help a burgeoning community of Italian immigrants. She was, herself, an Italian immigrant.
While in Colorado, she found the property in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies that is now the shrine. It wasn’t until 1909-1910, though, that she was able to buy the land to use as a summer camp for the children housed at her Queen of Heaven Orphanage.
When she first found the property, she was apparently told there was no reliable source of water on the land.  For years, water was trucked to the camp. But in 1912, the sisters complained of the lack of fresh water. After hearing this, Mother Cabrini said, “Lift that rock over there and start to dig. You will find water fresh enough to drink and clean enough to wash,” according to the shrine’s Web site.
The spring they found still flows today and some people believe the water has healing qualities, but a shrine spokesperson notes, “It’s the people who have proclaimed it healing and miraculous, not the church.”
Newer features of the shrine are the Grotto Chapel and a 22-foot statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, carved by an Italian artist, mounted atop an 11-foot base. There are 373 steps leading to the statue.
Ammenities: A gift shop is open daily, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Shrine gates are open 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Access: This is a shrine on hilly ground and may be difficult for some visitors to maneuver.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children are certainly welcome at the site which was, after all, a children’s summer camp.
Info: Address — Mother Cabrini Shrine Colorado, 20189 Cabrini Blvd., Golden, CO 80401. Phone — 303/526-0758. Web — www.mothercabrinishrine.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld; CNS contributed to this story
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Vatican Splendors - St. Louis, Missouri

Photos © Cittá del Vaticano

Destination: Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Art and Faith, will be exhibited May 15-Sept. 12 at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Mo. It is one of only three U.S. stops on its 2010 tour.
Why to go: Nearly 200 works of art and other significant objects, many of which have never before left the Vatican, are part of the exhibit.
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, Archbishop of St. Louis, in a letter to area bishops, noted, “The opportunity to spread the good news of our faith through the educational content of this exhibition is unprecedented. The art objects are presented in recreated environments chronicling our Church’s history from St. Peter the fisherman to Pope Benedict XVI, with special displays celebrating the life and works of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II.”
Photo shows detail of “The Holy Family with Two Angels,” Bologna, Italy, 16th century oil on canvas from the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Vatican City State.
Hours: Vatican Splendors will be open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and on Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Special events: A variety of activities are already planned during the exhibit’s stay in St. Louis. For example, on Saturdays and Sundays in May and June, there are string and choral concerts. Most start at 11 a.m. Check the Web site for more activities.
Access: The museum is accessible to the handicapped. With advance arrangements, it also provides sign language interpreters and makes other special arrangments. Call 314/361-9017 for details.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children are welcome at the museum. If you want to make a visit more educational, download either of the teacher’s guides on the Web site. There is one geared for religious educators and another, with equally interesting information, for public school educators.
Tickets: Prices vary, so check the Web site. Buying timed tickets in advance is a good idea for a show like this. Check for group rates, too.
Info: Address — Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112-0040. Phone — 877/2VATICAN (282-8122). Web — www.vaticansplendors.com or mohistory.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

National Shrine of The Divine Mercy - Stockbridge, Massachusetts

(Photos courtesy http://thedivinemercy.org)

Destination: The National Shrine of the Divine Mercy is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The shrine is operated by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Masses at the shrine are at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday; 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and holy days; 2 p.m., and seasonally at 7:30 a.m., weekdays. The Divine Mercy chaplet, followed by Benediction, is offered at 3 p.m. daily.
Why to go: Begun in 1950 without blueprints, a local Italian builder, guided volunteers, Marian noviates and seminarians through the construction process. The shrine features extensive woodwork, 36 stained-glass windows and two mosaics. Stations of the Cross are from Spain. The altar is crafted of Vermont marble. Above it is the image of Jesus, The Divine Mercy, surrounded by the Apostles, which were carved in northern Italy. Above the image of Jesus is a statue of the Immaculate Conception, made from white Carrara marble.
In a side chapel devoted to her is a bas relief of St. Faustina, also carved in northern Italy. She recorded a series of revelations on Divine Mercy in her diary.
Also on the grounds at the Marian Center is one of the largest indoor candle shrines, and, outdoors, the Immaculate Conception Candle Shrine and Lourdes Grotto.
In honor of the shrine’s 50th anniversary, Pope Benedict XVI has offered a plenary indulgence for pilgrims who visit the shrine any time this year.
It was designated a national shrine in 1996.
Special events: In addition to more  than 15,000 piligrims expected for this year’s Divine Mercy Sunday weekend prayers, the shrine also expects many to attend its special events and services on its golden jubilee celebration, May 29.
Amenities: A gift shop at the shrine is open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Access: Located in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, the site may be challenging for some visitors.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children are welcome, but should be mindful of the many who come for silent prayer.
Info: Address — National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, 2 Prospect Hill Road, Eden Hill, Stockbridge, MA 01262 Phone — 413/298-3931 Web — http://thedivinemercy.org/shrine

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine - St. Augustine, Florida

(Photos courtesy of the
Diocese of Saint Augustine)

Destination: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, “America’s First Parish,” is the oldest Catholic parish in the United States.
Masses at the cathedral are at 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 5 p.m. Saturday; 7, 9, 11 a.m. and  5 p.m. Sunday.
Why to go: Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés’ expedition from Spain landed in what would become Florida on Aug. 28, 1565. The day he spotted that first land, which is now Cape Canaveral, was the feast of St. Augustine. He decided to name his first settlement after the saint.
Menéndez and his crew sailed further along the coast, eventually stopping in early September at a site called Mission Nombre de Dios (above, left), which is where Father López de Mendoza Grajales celebrated the first Mass of the new settlement. Today’s Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine (above, right) is down the street from the site of the first Mass.
In 1586, the English, led by Sir Francis Drake, burned the settlement and the church. By 1786, the Spanish again controlled the area, and the crown ordered a new parish church for St. Augustine be built. The cornerstone was laid in 1793 and the church completed in August 1797.
After an 1887 fire, started in a nearby hotel, damaged the church, the pastor made a nationwide appeal for help in rebuilding. At that time, the church was enlarged and a bell tower added.
A nearby chapel, the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, is the oldest Marian shrine in the U.S.
Special events: At 5:30 p.m. on the Fridays of Lent, the parish hosts a soup supper at the Bishop Baker Center. Stations of the Cross follow.
On March 5 at 6 p.m., the cathedral’s First Friday Art Walk Concert series will feature sopranos Cara and Catie Hutson and Ellen Marini.
Amenities: The Cathedral Bell Tower Gift Shop is located inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine and to the left. It is closed during any liturgy, but is otherwise open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10-11 a.m. and noon-5 p.m.
Access: Parking is restricted in several areas around the parish. Check the Web site for details.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The cathedral is a working parish with a school attached, so children are more than welcome.
Info: Address: Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, 35 Treasury St., St. Augustine, FL 32084. Phone: 904/824-2806. Web: www.thefirstparish.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi - Santa Fe, New Mexico

(Photo provided)

Destination: If you’re about to “motor west,” plan a stop at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, which is celebrating is 400th anniversary in 2010. You’ll be among visitors as distinguised as Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain, who attended a ceremony at the basilica last October to mark the start of celebrations for the 400th anniversary of the founding of Santa Fe.
Masses are Sunday — 8 a.m. (Spanish), 10 a.m., noon and 5:15 pm; Monday-Saturday — 7 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.
Why to go: The first church on the site of the present-day basilica was built by Franciscan Friars in 1610. The original adobe church has been replaced several times. Construction on today’s building began in 1869 and continued until 1887. The new church was built around the old church. When the new walls were finished, the old church was torn down and removed through the front door.
A Blessed Sacrament Chapel was built in 1967, and in 1987, an altar screen showing famous saints from North and South America was added. In 2009, the church installed a new cross and tower bells.
Stained glass windows in the lower bay are from France and show the 12 Apostles.
One of the oldest features of the basilica is a statue of Mary under the title of “La Conquistadora.” The statue was brought from Spain in 1625 by Spanish conquistadors and Franciscans to help introduce the Catholic faith.
Special events: The parish is sponsoring a Valentine weekend art exhibit and sale Feb. 12-14. Parish artists will offer mixed media, oil, acrylic, watercolor, egg tempera, natural pigments, encaustic wax, wood, metal, fiber and leather, sculpture, clay, photography, glass, jewelry, furniture, drawings and hand-finished prints. Thirty percent of all sales will help reduce the school debt.
The parish’s senior group — Treasures of Wisdom — is sponsoring a series of full-length movies featuring a priest to celebrate the Year for Priests. Movies will be shown at 1 p.m. Feb. 11, 18 and 25.
Amenities: La Conquistadora Gift Shop is located at the front entrance of the Cathedral Basilica and is open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1-4:30 p.m.
Access: Stairs at the street lead up to the church’s front plaza.
(Grand) Kid friendly: As with any church, children are welcome.
Info: Address: 131 Cathedral Place, P.O. Box 2127, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2127 Phone: 505/982-5619 Web: www.cbsfa.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

The Grotto - Portland, Oregon

(Photo provided)

Destination: Known informally as The Grotto, the proper name of this spot is The National Santuary of Our Sorrowful Mother. Located minutes from downtown Portland, the 62-acre site is both shrine and botanical gardens dedicated to Mary. It is administered by the Order of Friars Servants of Mary, USA Province.
Masses are at 10 a.m. (weekly) and noon (May-October, in the Grotto Plaza weather permitting) Sunday; noon weekdays; 8 a.m. Saturday.
Why to go: The informal title derives from a grotto in a cliff wall that holds a white marble copy of Michelangelo’s Pieta. But there are also a number of gardens that feature hundreds of statues, shrines and religious art.
Its acreage includes manicured gardens and paths that provide year-round access to the plaza and upper levels. The plaza level showcases native northwest plants, and the Chapel of Mary. Upper-level gardens, 110 feet above the lower level, sit atop the north face of Rocky Butte.
The shrine is the work of Father Ambrose Mayer, who, as a boy, promised a great undertaking for the Church if God would spare his mother and the baby girl she delivered in a difficult labor. He joined the Servite Order, for whom, in 1918, he was sent to the Archdiocese of Portland. In 1923, when all he had was $3,000, he used the money as a downpayment on a $48,000 site owned by the Union Pacific Railroad Company.
Pope Pius XI, in his own handwriting, gave a boost to Father Mayer’s efforts when he offered a Special Apostolic Blessing to all those who “in any way or measure, show their good will and assist in erecting the Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother in Portland.”
The first Mass, offered May 29, 1924, for the shrine’s dedication, drew 3,000 people.
Special events: The shrine just closed its Advent Festival of Lights. It will also host International Freedom Sunday events on July 4, highlighting the traditions and contributions of the Portland area’s Polish, Croatian, Russian, Korean, Filipino, Hispanic, Eritrean, Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese cultures.
Amenities: A Welcome Center and Gift Shop is open Monday—Sunday (except Thanksgiving and Christmas).
Access: Because of the multi-level terrain, some parts of the shrine might be challenging. The lower level, however, should be accessible to most.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Outdoor sites are always open to younger visitors.
Info: Address: The Grotto, P.O. Box 20008, Portland, OR 97294-0008 Phone: 503/254-7371. Web: www.thegrotto.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org