Holy Rosary Church

Rarely do I write reviews but my imminent departure from this city has prompted me to open up about the parish that has, quite frankly, stolen my heart! There are many Catholic churches in Portland that are beautiful in terms of architecture and congregational spirit, but none compare to the beauty of the liturgy and the generosity of the friars that is offered here at Holy Rosary. Mind you, I’m the kind of parishioner who thrives on tradition and complexity, and I need palpable reverence in order to be fully satisfied. So Latin at Mass, women in veils, and Communion on the tongue is just my thing. Holy Rosary in particular has gone above and beyond any expectations previously beholden for just how satisfying a parish can be: offering Dominican Rite Masses that obliterate space and time; hosting Tuesday night forums on spiritual topics that are actually relevant and truly engaging; endowing the parishioners with occasional relic blessings; offering plentiful Adoration hours, excellent Mass times, and copious Confession hours. I don’t have children but I do know there is also a bounty of resources available to parishioners who do have children — otherwise, how about a specially designated «Crying Room» inside the church for cranky kids?! Amazing.
There’s also this paradox to Holy Rosary I love in that, even with the parish’s penchant for tradition and antiquity, these Friars are some of the most open-​minded, open-​hearted priests around, who demonstrate how to maintain that ardor for antiquity whilst also being applicable to modern life. Their approach to the congregation is not clinical and aloof but truly pastoral, and this is a parish where you can really flourish in your spiritual development because they truly care about you!
Now remember that this is a church attached to a Dominican Priory, and of course, with Dominicans being the Order of Preachers, the quality of preaching is an additional aspect of what has made me fall in love with this church. Preaching is HARD so I’ve never faulted a priest for an underwhelming homily, but at Holy Rosary rarely do I hear a homily that is irrelevant, tangential, or tedious. Rather, they have brought me to tears, captivated my intellect, and provided invaluable insight. I’m partial to Father Vincent’s free-​flowing preaching style where he is able to elucidate extremely complex spiritual concepts via clear language and is able to seemingly command the Holy Spirit into our hearts — he is SERIOUSLY gifted with the preaching, and it’s a joy to behold. In addition, I’m really beginning to like Father Dismas’ more subdued and gentle style where he crafts a kind of explanatory narrative that subtly builds and then makes a direct hit by the end of the homily. Being a convert myself I really like priests who are converts, so this makes Father Dismas particularly endearing in my book. Otherwise, Father Buckley is a hoot to listen to and Father Stephen Maria has this kind of calm restraint to him that can tranquilize the soul. So many great styles of preaching, so many great priests here at Holy Rosary!
Bless this parish with your presence!

An hours worth of worship can be a weight lifted off my shoulders… Everyone has their ways of de-​stressing and and feeling at peace with themselves or at least close to peace and this is my way on Sundays.
I typically find myself at the 1PM mass as prayers in Latin aren’t strongly present. However, if you want to partake in the longer mass with the Lord’s Prayer and all other prayers in Latin — I recommend the 11AM — It is a beautiful mass.
Life can never be too busy or lonely if you make room for Him in your life.