Summer Pilgrimage to Portland
From August 26 to 30, 2026, the seminarians, along with the youth of their Neocatechumenal communities from Vancouver, Canada, embarked on a multi-day summer pilgrimage traveling through Washington and Oregon. The Pilgrimage took the group from Seattle down through Portland, Seaside, and surrounding communities.
Journey Highlights
Seattle Start & Community Connection:
The pilgrimage opened on Wednesday, August 26, with plans to visit local parish communities and exchange experiences. We were welcomed by a parish community on the outskirts of Seattle. We prayed vespers in their chapel and shared testimonies of what God has done in our lives. The testimonies were powerful and deeply touching. It has been one of the most beautiful moments of the pilgrimage.
The Grotto:
On Thursday, August 27, the group traveled south toward Portland to visit The Grotto. We had a wonderful moment to engage with the mystery of the Cross through our Sorrowful Mother, represented through a replica of the Pietà. Gabriel Davis shared with us the history of the shrine and how it became a pilgrimage site thanks to a miracle granted from Our Lady to a young Canadian friar named Ambrose Mayer.
We all had an opportunity to ask for a personal grace to the Virgin Mary.
Surprisingly, a Portland parishioner, with connections to Vancouver, discovered that we were coming to visit the Grotto and paid for all of us the visit to the upper gardens
Portland and Oregon Coast
On Friday, August 28, we had the chance to visit the coastland of Oregon and scrutinize the word of God in front of a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. They scrutinized the word "Sea" and its meaning in Scripture. The theme was inspired from a catechesis on the prophet Giona, where he finds himself thrown into the sea and saved by staying for three days in the belly of a wave.
On Saturday, August 29, the youth, along with the seminarians, did a popular mission in downtown Portland. We met at the Pioneer Courthouse Square and announced in the square the love of Christ for us and for all. We manifested it with testimonies, songs, and communion. It has been a wonderful sign for us and for the city of Portland. Brian, one of our seminarians, gave his testimony in front of many passersby who stopped to listen.
Return to Vancouver: We had a beautiful Eucharistic celebration on Saturday evening with some Portland Communities who welcomed us and prepared a banquet for us.
On Sunday, we celebrated morning prayer, breakfast, and prepared sack lunches provided by the local Portland brothers; the group departed on Sunday, August 30, concluding a spiritually enriching cross-border journey back to Vancouver.
