I was visiting Portland for the weekend and obviously loved it! But this little place here, St. Andre is what really made this trip amazing for me. We weren't even planning on attending Mass, but something was nudging us to go (holy spirit?). To our surprise,...
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I was visiting Portland for the weekend and obviously loved it! But this little place here, St. Andre is what really made this trip amazing for me. We weren't even planning on attending Mass, but something was nudging us to go (holy spirit?). To our surprise, the church was only a few blocks away. Fr. Tomas is so sweet and the rest of the congregation was most welcoming. They stayed after Mass to talk to us and made an effort to get to know us; it was refreshing. It might not sound like a big deal but, to me, it meant so much. Maybe it's because I'm used to attending mass and then quickly leaving or maybe because I've never had such a friendly conversation with a priest. Long story short, I loved this place.
It's located in downtown Portland so as you can imagine there's a large homeless population. They serve people from all walks of life: from the homeless, recovering addicts, middle class, upper class, and all in between (as another reviewer wrote). They typically serve warm meals before Mass to anyone who's hungry. It's a humble home and it was a joy to celebrate Mass with such an eclectic group of people.
It doesn't look like your typical Catholic Church inside and out, but you definitely feel the presence of God.