Reverend John Topper, O.S.M., 86, passed away Saturday, April 12, in Portland, Oregon.

“Fr. Jack,” as he was known, was a solemn professed friar and priest of the Order of Friar Servants of Mary (Servites) and had served as Director of The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, The Grotto, for some 25 years.

Fr. Jack was born on July 23, 1938 in Chicago, IL, to Raymond and Helen Topcewski. Before entering the Servite Order, Fr. Jack enjoyed an accomplished career in public and private education, working as a teacher and administrator within the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Catholic school system. He held Masters degrees in American History from Loyola University, Chicago; Educational Supervision and Administration from Roosevelt University, Chicago; and Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. He entered the Servite Order in 1982 and completed his formation in Chicago and Denver, making solemn profession as a Servite Friar in 1987. He was ordained to the priesthood later that same year. Prior to being assigned to Oregon, Fr. Jack served as a parish priest in St. Louis and Chicago, and as a campus minister in California. He was named Director of The Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, The Grotto, in Portland, Oregon in 1991 and remained at The Grotto until his retirement in 2016.

Fr. Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Helen; and his sister, Barbara (Topcewski) Martini. He is survived by his brother Raymond Topcewski and sister-in-law Janice, along with many nieces, nephews and friends.

Celebration of Life

Fr. Jack as Executive Director of The Grotto

Upon his arrival to The Grotto in 1991, Fr. Jack encountered a significant amount of deferred maintenance throughout the shrine; he soon tackled one project after another, and his love for The Grotto steadily grew. First up was the completion of a new gift shop.

In 1993, Fr. Jack introduced new art to the gardens, including a bronze statue of St. Francis of Assisi. He worked with local artist Mary Lewis in 1996 to create a beautiful set of bas-relief sculptures representing the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, to join Lewis’ companion pieces of the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries she had created for The Grotto Peace Garden in 1989.

In 2001, a new visitor and conference center facility was completed on the site of the old gift shop. Other projects followed, including a major plaza restoration, a redesign of the main parking lot, and a modernization of the elevator to the Upper Gardens.

In 2010, Fr. Jack oversaw the installation of a meditative labyrinth in the Upper Gardens, modeled after the labyrinth in France’s Chartres Cathedral.

As time went on, it was clear that he lived and breathed The Grotto throughout his ministry.

Perhaps what Fr. Jack was most proud of is the creation of the wayside cultural shrines that now grace a quiet pathway in the Upper Gardens. A Lithuanian shrine had been erected at The Grotto in 1963. In 2007, Fr. Jack collaborated with the members of St. Stanislaus Parish to create a new wayside shrine at The Grotto in honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa. This was followed by the installation of Dambana, the Filipino shrine in 2008, and in the summer of 2016, Our Lady of Lavang Vietnamese shrine and the shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, were dedicated.

In October of 2012, Portland Archbishop John Vlazny presented Fr. Jack with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, in recognition of his outstanding service to the Church.

The accomplishments of Fr. Jack Topper encompass more than can be listed here. The Grotto will continue to grow and flourish for years to come, in no small part due to the untiring work of this Servite Friar who dedicated 25 years of ministry to this national sanctuary established in honor of Mary, Our Sorrowful Mother.

Gardens Nourish Your Soul

Fr. Jack carried with him a beloved verse he found many years ago in a magazine.

Below: Fr. Jack reads the verse while sitting in the Upper Gardens.