Holy Rosary Property Questions and Concerns
Please fill out the form below to submit a question or concern about the Holy Rosary Campus Master Plan outlined in the updates below the form. You may submit anonymously, or include your name and email. Thank you!
From the January 25, 2026 bulletin
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Holy Rosary,
This weekend, we celebrate the 132nd anniversary of the dedication of Holy Rosary Church. For more than a century, this church has served as an oasis of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a shrine to the Queen of the Holy Rosary, and a center of Dominican evangelization.
In this bulletin, I want to give you another update on the surrounding properties of Holy Rosary and address several questions and rumors I have heard whispered.
As you may recall, about three years ago, our parish, along with constituents from the Rosary Center, held town hall meetings and completed surveys to dream and discuss the future of the parish. The result was that we all wanted to ensure that our parish campus remains safe and secure, while preserving the beautiful, reverent liturgies and allowing parishioners and visitors to grow and thrive for generations to come. To assist in this work, the parish reestablished a pastoral council and a finance council. But we have also created a property steering committee (PSC). This committee is composed of friars, parishioners, and professionals with expertise in law, finance, and other areas, as well as representatives from the Western Dominican Province and the Rosary Center, to assist in the stewardship of facilities and land around Holy Rosary and to plan for future needs. Contrary to some rumors, parishioners have been very involved in this committee from the beginning.
The PSC exists to represent the needs of all constituencies and to collaborate, consult, and communicate across the province, parish, priory, and Rosary Center as we unite our resources and efforts to achieve our shared vision of a safe, secure, and beautiful unified campus.
What's more, the PSC is aware of the need to continue to strengthen the financial foundation of all the entities involved, and to develop plans that will ultimately help address the millions of dollars in deferred maintenance of our existing structures. It's no small task, but it's also one that wouldn't be possible without collaboration and prayer.
The PSC has done a very good job managing the multi-year effort to gather information, receive feedback, and carefully study options. The situation is often very dynamic and changes from month to month. They have offered us informed recommendations, guided by analysis and broad consultation with trusted, experienced, and reputable professionals. Due diligence has been a critical part of every step. They have also been given (and have heard themselves) the various concerns expressed along the way. We'll continue to update the property website to address specific issues and welcome your ongoing feedback.
In the September 7, 2025 bulletin, I mentioned that we entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with development partners. These developers have committed to working with us to provide much-needed replacement facilities for Holy Rosary Parish and the Rosary Center & Confraternity—including gathering spaces, classrooms, and offices—while also creating a mix of new housing. The plan envisions both market-rate and affordable housing, as part of a broader effort to help revitalize the neighborhood.
The developers are currently concluding their Exclusive Negotiating period, an initial phase of the feasibility study and due diligence. The next stage, known as the Development and Disposition Agreement period, involves creating detailed architectural designs of the replacement hall and RCC buildings, refining cost estimates, comprehensive budgeting, and working closely with the city to secure required permits and tax incentives. This phase often lasts several years and includes multiple levels of review.
Another recent and significant development we did not expect (but were prepared for) was that Garden Hotels asked to terminate their lease, as did Starbucks. Starbucks has chosen to leave its location as part of its larger corporate restructuring, and the lease termination with Garden Hotels was something multiple administrations had hoped to secure, given the many years of challenges with the property.
The Dominican Province is now discerning, together with the parish, priory, and RCC, the next appropriate use of those properties, and new opportunities will hopefully emerge to further enhance our revitalization efforts. However, these lease terminations also mean the loss of rental income that previously supported part of the parish operating budget. As a result, our finances will be very tight in the near term, and careful stewardship will be essential. I'm particularly thankful to all of you who give so generously to support our parish. Your contributions make it possible for us to be an oasis of truth, beauty, and goodness. And I hope this project will continue to enhance our ability to radiate the joy of the Gospel even further across Portland.
Going forward, my goal is to provide monthly updates and to respond to questions on parishioners' minds. I warmly invite our parishioners with concerns to speak with me in person or via email or, alternatively, to contact our Business Manager, Wendy McKnight. Questions and concerns can also be submitted anonymously via a new form at holyrosarypdx.org/property, where you can also see all the past updates, survey responses, and other information about the Master Campus Plan. Your questions and feedback are always welcome. Over the past several years, our parishioners' input has been very helpful—particularly regarding safety and security, parking, more and better spaces, and the preservation of our campus's beauty. The PSC has taken this feedback seriously, and it continues to shape how projects are evaluated and prioritized.
Please continue to keep Holy Rosary Church, the property steering committee, and this project in your prayers, and visit holyrosarypdx.org/property for ongoing updates.
Very Rev. Peter Do, O.P.
Pastor and Prior
From the September 7, 2025 bulletin
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Holy Rosary,
Holy Rosary Church and Priory, together with the Rosary Center and the Dominican Friars of the Western Province, have been prayerfully discerning and carefully planning for the future of our parish campus and surrounding property. This process is guided by our mission to serve both the spiritual and practical needs of our community while contributing to the renewal of the neighbourhood in which we have lived and ministered since the 1890s.
Currently, the project is in an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with prospective development partners. These developers have committed to working with us to provide much-needed replacement facilities for Holy Rosary Parish and the Rosary Center & Confraternity—including gathering spaces, classrooms, and offices—while also creating a mix of new housing. The plan envisions both market-rate housing and affordable housing, and also as part of a broader effort to help revitalize the Lloyd District.
As the next step, the development team will begin initial conversations with the City of Portland. This engagement will create a public record and may result in media coverage. While the details are still preliminary and no plans are final, I want you, our parish family, to be aware of these developments before they become public. I anticipate that stories will be generally positive, highlighting our efforts to improve our parish facilities and to make a constructive contribution to the city we call home.
After consultation with stakeholders back in 2024, specific parcels were offered for redevelopment into housing, while others are reserved for parish improvements. From this process, two development partners were selected: Cairn Pacific, who will undertake market-rate housing, and Gorman & Company, who will focus on affordable housing. They are collaborating with Holst Architecture to explore options for parish facilities, property configurations, and project phasing. Community and neighborhood engagement will also be part of this ongoing dialogue.
While this is a long and complex process, the vision remains clear: to continue the sacramental, devotional, and spiritual life of our community, renew our facilities, improve and strengthen the safety and security of our parish, and help support the vitality of Portland’s Lloyd District. I ask for your continued prayers as this work unfolds. Please know that no final plans have been made, and you are always welcome to bring your questions or concerns to me in the parish office. Together, we will remain faithful stewards of the gifts entrusted to us, seeking always to glorify God and the salvation of souls.
Very Rev. Peter Do, O.P.
Pastor and Prior
From the March 30, 2025 bulletin
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Holy Rosary,
I shared last Fall that we had embarked on a Master Campus Planning effort alongside the Rosary Center, the Priory, and the Western Dominican Province. Together, these Dominican entities own approximately five city blocks around Holy Rosary Church (see map). Today, I’d like to offer an update on this effort and share some good news.
As you know well, our properties should serve our mission to radiate the joy of the Gospel. Sady, our physical structures are aging, our parking needs are growing, and our security concerns are increasing. To sustain our growth, beautify our parish, and fund our mission, we must discern how best to utilize the properties God has entrusted to our care.
Our Property Steering Committee (PSC), a collaborative advisory body made up of lay and friar representatives from the Dominican entities involved, has worked for more than a year to review parishioner feedback from the online survey, take notes at our Town Hall meetings, engage our pastoral and finance councils, work with consultants, and listen to the needs of the Dominican community.
Your feedback to the PSC has produced a basic set of priorities underscored by an abiding concern to ensure the continuity of operations of the Church and all its related ministries. Specific priorities include a large parish center with classrooms and a hall, a new Rosary Center office, 24- hour adoration chapel, stronger rental income, expanded parking, better security considerations, and beautiful public and devotional spaces connected to the grotto, to name a few.
This work was summarized in a Request for Qualifications that was sent to 55 industry professionals and developers in the Fall of 2024 where we asked them to explain how they could help refine our priorities into a responsible master campus plan. Thankfully, that effort has been fruitful, and after researching backgrounds, references, and conducting in-person interviews, we’re now ready to enter a phase of due diligence with two developers who will be working as a team to deliver a project which meets the needs of all parties. This step has been approved by the Priory, the Parish leadership, the Rosary Center Board, and the Provincial Council.
What Happens Next?
Over the next 3-6 months we’ll be working with our developer partners to ascertain how best to build the new facilities and spaces for our growing Parish community needs, which parts of our property are best suited for revenue generation, what we can reasonably plan to do over time, cost estimations, and the practical steps needed to accomplish our goals in the coming years. Changes will be proposed including gathering spaces both inside and outside, new market rate housing, new affordable housing, as well as classrooms, adoration and office spaces. All
recommendations will be scrutinized by the PSC and church leadership before any plans are finalized. Foremost in our decision making will be to recognize that Holy Rosary is our spiritual home, and the needs of the faithful are paramount.
I will continue to share details with you as they become available. Be assured, we are aware of the difficulties of working in Portland and the challenges of a large Master Campus Plan. Nevertheless, we remain hopeful, confident in God’s providence and the mandate to serve our community and the city by bringing souls to Christ. If you have specific questions about the work of the PSC or this process, I invite you to contact our Business Manager, Wendy McKnight (wendymcknight@holyrosarypdx.org). I am also available to speak with you.
I keep all of you close in prayer every day, and please continue to pray for the success of our collective efforts. Our efforts will be in vain without God’s blessings. As the psalmist reminds us: “unless the Lord builds the house, in vain do the builders labor.” (Psalm 127:1)
Sincerely in Christ and St. Dominic,
Very Rev. Peter Do, O.P.
Pastor and Prior
From the October 15, 2023 bulletin
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Holy Rosary,
I’m writing to share the start of an exciting project and to ask for your prayers and advice.
Since beginning as your pastor, I have learned a great deal about Holy Rosary Parish’s rich history, and my admiration and appreciation for this community has only grown. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to read the parish’s history book, “A Treasure of Promises Kept”, which includes some incredible and inspiring stories. The Holy Spirit has clearly been at work in this community.
Our mission to radiate the joy of the Gospel in Portland is needed now, more than ever. To state the obvious, Portland is changing, and will continue to change. We’ve watched this city, like others around the country, struggle to adjust to new social dynamics, not least of which is a decline in religious practice and belief in God. I’d like to propose that we can do something to help, and to do so, we need to consider what our parish might look like over the coming decades.
We have a unique challenge and a unique opportunity. As some of you know, the Dominicans own nearly five (5) city blocks around Holy Rosary Church (the red areas of the map). This includes land owned under the title of the Church, the Rosary Center, and the Western Dominican Province.
As you might imagine, this land comes with management costs and potential liabilities, but also considerable unrealized opportunity to strengthen our parish, the Rosary Center, and the Province. As such, leaders at these Dominican entities have begun to ask: what does God want us to do with this land? How can we help each other?
Driving these questions are several serious challenges facing the Dominican entities involved:
Holy Rosary Parish buildings need significant maintenance, and we have dreams to strengthen our parish and ministry to the city. This may require new resources and buildings. We also have a budget deficit that will be hard to close. How do we protect our oasis of faith?
The Rosary Center has an aging building with significant deferred maintenance, and they need new kinds of spaces for their ministry to grow. What should they do?
The Western Dominican Province needs to stabilize property revenue streams to help fund Holy Rosary parish, the care and education of the friars (with record vocations!), and other Dominican apostolates in serious need. How can they help everyone be successful?
As such, the Dominicans have asked us to come together and form the Property Steering Committee (PSC), which is a collaborative advisory body with lay and friar representatives from the Parish, the Priory, the Rosary Center, and the Province. They’ve been tasked with building a collaborative Master Campus Plan that unites and supports the operational needs of all the entities involved. But to build a proper plan, we need your prayers and advice.
I’m aware that the parish’s history with buildings and land has been difficult over the previous decades, and that there were times in the past where we did not communicate transparently, or lost sight of our goals, or failed to properly consult the community. For those mistakes, and the hurt they caused, I’m truly sorry. I believe the best way to move past those errors is to chart a new course with your help, sharing openly our hopes and dreams, and better understanding yours.
In that spirit, I’d like to ask you to help us with a broad effort to discern Holy Rosary’s place in the future of this city, specifically, how best to create a future “parish campus” where the Catholic faith can be inculcated, as well as radiate out into the city for generations to come.
Opportunities to Get Involved and How We’re Collecting Advice: We’ve created a few ways for us to learn about what God may have put on your heart to share:
Online Parish Survey: in a large parish with hundreds of families, one of the best ways to ensure everyone has a chance to voice their opinion is through a proper survey. It will remain open for at least a month to give you time to complete it. Please access the survey at: opwest.org/pdxsurvey
Parish Stakeholder Meetings: I’ve been working closely with the Property Steering Committee to understand the various stakeholder groups within the parish. Specifically, the pastoral and finance councils are your parish representatives who advocate for your needs. We’re engaging them directly to understand any concerns and hopes of the community.
Parish Town Hall Meeting: towards the end of the year (Date TBD), we’ll be holding a Town Hall style meeting to share the results of initial feedback, offer insights into what we’re learning, hear more questions and ideas from you, and talk about ‘next steps’.
What Happens Next? Over the coming months, we’ll be working hard to listen and gather feedback from as many different sources as possible. The PSC will analyze this feedback and look for themes, critical issues, and creative ideas to incorporate into a Master Campus Plan proposal. This proposal must incorporate the hopes and dreams of our parish, but also the Rosary Center and the Province. It’s a unique, exciting, and transformative opportunity for us all.
We hope that a proposal can be completed by early 2024, and subsequently accepted by the leaders of the parish, the priory, the Rosary Center, and the Province. This proposal would then be our guiding document as we consult with professionals and others on how best to realize our vision for the parish, the Rosary Center, and the Province. At that point, we’ll begin to better understand timelines, costs, and other questions that I’m sure are on all our minds.
If you have specific questions about the work of the PSC or this process, I invite you to reach out to Mark Fisher, Business Manager. I’m also available to speak with you.
Please take time to complete the survey at opwest.org/pdxsurvey and please keep this effort in your prayers. I keep all of you close in prayer every day.
Sincerely in Christ and St. Dominic,
Very Rev. Peter Do, O.P.
Pastor and Prior
Click the button below to watch the recorded Virtual Town Hall from February 2, 2024.