St.
Peregrine Mass is celebrated at The Grotto
on the first Saturday of each month at
12 Noon in the Chapel of Mary.
The Order of Servants of Mary
(Servites) began in the thirteenth century under the inspiration of Our Blessed Mother who
appeared separately to seven young men of Florence, Italy, urging them to dedicate
themselves to prayer and service. The seven soon became noticed and others joined them in
the hills above the city.
One who applied was Peregrine Laziosi who had been an activist in the anti-papal
movement in the city of Forli but had been won over by the Prior General of the Servites,
Philip Benizi, who later became a saint. Peregrine labored for years as a brother in the
Order and at age 60 was diagnosed with cancer of the leg brought on by many years of
disciplined prayer while standing, resulting in varicose veins which became
ulcerous. On the night before the scheduled amputation of his leg, Peregrine dragged
himself to the foot of the cross in the community chapter room and fell into a deep
trance-like sleep. Upon waking, he discovered that this leg was completely
cured. Because of the miracle wrought by prayer, the Church canonized him in 1726
and named him patron of cancer sufferers. His Feast Day is May 4.
The lesson of Peregrine's life is not that God worked a miracle, but that a faithful,
trustful servant placed himself, unconditionally, in the hands of our Lord. Peregrine's
trust in God can be a model for us in dealing with the pain, sickness and crosses of our
lives.
A monthly Mass and blessing with the relic of St. Peregrine is offered at The Grotto in
the Chapel of Mary on the first Saturday of the month at 12 noon. The
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is available to the chronically or seriously ill, and
to the elderly frail. At this monthly Mass, all intentions received at the St.
Peregrine Shrine are included in the petitions of the Mass.
For more information about The Grotto or the devotion to St. Peregrine, please send
your name and address (complete) to:
St. Peregrine Shrine at The Grotto
PO Box 20008
Portland, OR 97294-0008
Mass intentions can also be submitted by writing to the above address or by completing
the form on this page. No specific date can be accepted for the celebration of the
Mass. Intentions will be processed in the order received and may be forwarded to
other locations if necessary.
