LOVE SONG FOR SOLITUDE
Seeking solitude and clarity in 2017, I traveled north by car, alone, out of the smog and bustle surrounding my home in Los Angeles into the pristine forests and chilly winter air of Portland, Oregon. Once there, I found myself traversing expansive mountain ranges, standing in awe of waterfalls hidden within lush forests, and — unexpectedly — contemplating life in sacred spaces dedicated to the divine.
Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. Only a few months earlier, the area had been overwhelmed by the Eagle Creek Fire — a wildfire that burned for three months. Before leaving Los Angeles, this was the first place I’d decided to go once I arrived in Portland. On the day I visited, the weather was cold and wintery, and I was only able to tolerate the harsh wind long enough to walk a short distance and photograph the waterfall before leaving.
The wilderness seemed to stretch on for miles at the Columbia River Gorge, and in the quiet of the day, the bustle of Southern California felt like a distant memory.
St. John’s Bridge, spanning the Willamette River, overlooks Portland’s Cathedral Park neighborhood. The bridge’s design, with cutouts shaped like stained glass windows, complements the name of the small community park over which it looms.
Seeking a solitary hike on my last afternoon in Portland, I discovered a forest close to where I was staying called The Grotto. The reviews online promised beautiful hiking trails and a peaceful experience for visitors. Upon arrival, I discovered the land was part of a Roman Catholic sanctuary founded by the Servite Friars nearly a century earlier.
My visit to The Grotto that afternoon remains one of the most serene experiences of my life to date. Ignoring the cold December weather, I stayed until it started to rain, and I finally had to leave. Pictured above is the Monastery at The Grotto, still home to the Servite Friars.
One of the many statues of Roman Catholic saints lining the wooded paths at The Grotto.
St. Anne’s Chapel at The Grotto. Built in 1934, the tiny chapel houses replicas of famous paintings of the Madonna from around the world.
Interior of the Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish Shrine, which houses a replica of the Black Madonna.
Catholic shrines and chapels from various nations and cultures around the world pepper the forest trails at The Grotto. This dambana, or Filipino faith shrine, houses sculptures by artist Ferdie Sacdalan of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the Virgin Mary and the Santo Nino of Cebu.
According to The Grotto’s website, Our Lady of Lavang 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.”
Inside the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas at The Grotto, warm light welcomes visitors seeking peace and prayer in the middle of the forest.
The natural materials that compose the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, as well as its location in the middle of a fir tree forest, are an immediate reminder of the intimate connection between Heaven and Earth.
Another view of Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas at The Grotto.
After wandering a circular labyrinth while meditating on the past and future, I encountered this statue of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, as I was leaving The Grotto. It had begun to rain, but the precipitation paused just long enough to allow me to take a photo before continuing on my way back to the car. Although I had no idea who the statue depicted at the time, the chance encounter would ultimately change the direction of my life only a few years later.