About Korean Martyrs · Portland, Oregon
Korean Martyrs Catholic Church (포틀랜드 한국 순교자 성당) is a Korean-language Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, located at 10840 SE Powell Blvd. in southeast Portland. The community was founded in 1979 as a Korean Catholic mission and was elevated to parish status by Archbishop William J. Levada in 1990, when it also moved into its own church building on Powell Boulevard. Today it serves the Korean-American Catholic community of the Portland metro area with Sunday and weekday Masses celebrated in Korean, faith formation for children and catechumens, parish societies, and an annual roster of retreats, picnics, and devotional events.
- Established
- 1979
- Patron
- The Korean Martyrs — Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and Companions (103 martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984 in Seoul)
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Kim (Jinsoo Kim) / 김진수 (요셉)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
Korean Martyrs Catholic Church is the spiritual home of the Korean Catholic community in the Portland area, with Mass celebrated in Korean every Sunday and on weekdays. The parish actively forms its members through Sunday School for children, a doctrinal class for prospective Catholics (catechumens), parish-wide retreats, and gatherings of the Holy Family Society, Legion of Mary, Marian Society, Altar Society, and the parish golf club — making it a true community of faith, formation, and fellowship for Korean-speaking Catholics in the Pacific Northwest.
Mass times at Korean Martyrs
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before every Mass (Tue 7:00–7:20 PM, Wed 9:30–9:50 AM, Thu 7:00–7:20 PM, Fri 9:30–9:50 AM, Sat 6:00–6:20 PM, Sun 9:30–9:50 AM and 11:00–11:20 AM)
Adoration times
- First Thursday of the month, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
History of the Parish
The Korean Catholic community in Oregon began on July 8, 1979, with a founding Mass at the Marylhurst Convent Chapel offered by Father Parle of the Columban Fathers for twelve families. In 1980 the community was named the Korean Catholic Mission of Oregon, and Father Paul Kim was appointed in August 1981. On April 10, 1983 the community celebrated its first Mass for Koreans at St. Anthony's Church, and a church-construction-fund steering committee was approved in August 1988. Archbishop William J. Levada elevated the mission to full parish status on August 10, 1990.
- 1979 (July 8) – Founding Mass at Marylhurst Convent Chapel, Fr. Parle, ~60 people
- 1979 (Nov 17) – Fr. Cho Byung-ki moves from Seattle to Portland
- 1979 (Dec 24) – First Christmas Mass, a chanting Mass at the convent chapel, ~100 attendees
- 1980 (Nov 2) – Community renamed the Korean Catholic Mission of Oregon
- 1981 (Aug 26) – Fr. Paul Kim celebrates his first Mass upon appointment
- 1982 (Oct 10) – Catechism for children and youth begins
- 1983 (Apr 10) – First Korean Mass at St. Anthony's Church
- 1987 – Anna Society founded
- 1988 – Church Construction Fund steering committee approved; Fr. Kim Yun-geun (Peter) of Busan celebrates first Mass
- 1990 (Aug 10) – Elevated to parish status by Archbishop Levada
- 1991 – 1 Million Rosary Campaign for the new church begins
- 1993 (May 9) – Catholic Korean School opens; first principal Kim Tae-gon (Peter)
- 1995 (May 10) – Powell Blvd. building purchased; first Mass held there June 4, 1995
- 1996 (Jul 14) – Church consecrated by Archbishop Francis E. George
Patron Saints — The 103 Korean Martyrs
The parish takes its name from the Korean Martyrs: Saints Andrew Kim Taegon (Korea's first native priest), Paul Chong Hasang (a lay apostle and lay leader), and 101 companions who died for the faith during the 19th-century persecutions in Korea (1839, 1846, and 1866). Pope John Paul II canonized all 103 together on May 6, 1984 in Seoul, in a ceremony that broke tradition by taking place outside Rome. The Catholic Church celebrates their memorial each year on September 20.
- 103 martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in Seoul on May 6, 1984
- Feast day: September 20 (memorial of Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and Companions)
- Persecutions spanned 1839–1867; an estimated 8,000–10,000 Korean Christians died for the faith
- Most were heroic laity — men and women, married and single, of all ages
Mass, Sacraments, and Devotions
All Masses are celebrated in Korean. The Sunday schedule includes a student Mass at 10:00 AM and a main parish Mass at 11:30 AM, with a Vigil Mass Saturday evening at 6:30 PM. Weekday Masses are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM and Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10:00 AM. Confessions are heard 30 minutes before every Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered the first Thursday of each month from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.
- Sunday Masses: 10:00 AM (student) and 11:30 AM (parish)
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 6:30 PM
- Weekday Masses: Tue/Thu 7:30 PM; Wed/Fri 10:00 AM
- Confession: 30 minutes before every Mass
- Adoration: First Thursday 7:30–8:30 PM
- Communal Stations of the Cross: every Friday after the 10:00 AM Mass
- Infant Baptism: by appointment
- Matrimony: application at least 3 months before the wedding
Faith Formation
The parish runs a Sunday School for children and youth that meets at 11:00 AM, alongside a Doctrinal Class for Catechumens (예비 신자 교리) on Sunday mornings for adults preparing to enter the Church. Parish catechism has been offered continuously since 1982, when classes for children and youth first began under teachers Peter Han, Maria Kim, Agatha Kim, and Sister Kierman. The parish also opens its facilities to annual Lenten retreats for grades 7–12.
- Sunday School — Sundays 11:00 AM
- Catechism / Doctrinal Class for Catechumens — Sundays 8:40 AM (some sources 9:40 AM)
- Sunday School Lenten Retreat — for Grades 7–12
- Catholic Korean School — opened 1993, first principal Kim Tae-gon (Peter)
Parish Societies and Ministries
Korean Martyrs has long been organized around a network of parish societies that meet the spiritual, social, and service needs of its members. The Anna (성모회) and Holy Family (성가족회) societies are women's and family fellowship groups; the parish hosts four Legion of Mary praesidia; and lay organizations such as the Catholic Golf Club and the Funeral Committee provide community care and fellowship. Together these groups form the backbone of parish life.
- Anna Society (성모회) — founded 1987
- Holy Family Society (성가족회) — founded 1989
- Marian Society and Altar Society
- Legion of Mary 'Gate of Heaven' Praesidium (1987)
- Legion of Mary 'Mother of the Martyrs' Praesidium (1987)
- Legion of Mary 'Ivory Pagoda' Praesidium (1990)
- Legion of Mary 'Mother of Love' Praesidium (1991)
- Funeral Committee (1993)
- Catholic Golf Club (1993)
- Parish Choir
Parish Retreats, Pilgrimages, and Community Life
Throughout its history, the parish has emphasized retreats, pilgrimages, and outdoor parish days. Men's and women's retreats have been held at Mt. Angel and the Loyola Retreat Center, and the first Parish Day was celebrated August 25, 1991 at Champoeg Park, with subsequent parish days held there and at Milo McIver State Park. Annual Marian retreats, parish-wide retreats led by visiting Korean priests, and joint Chuseok and Lunar New Year requiem Masses knit the community together across generations.
- Marian Retreat at Mt. Angel (1985, 1991)
- Men's Retreat at Mt. Angel (1990, 43 participants)
- Family Pilgrimage Prayer Service to the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima (1991)
- Parish Day at Champoeg Park (begun 1991)
- Outdoor Masses at Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp (1983) and Mary's Young State Park (1987)
- Joint Chuseok and Lunar New Year requiem Masses
- Marian Society and Altar Society picnic
Clergy and Staff
The current pastor is Rev. Joseph Kim (Jinsoo Kim) / 김진수 (요셉). The parish has been served by both diocesan and visiting Korean priests over its history, including Columban Father Parle (founding Mass, 1979), Fr. Cho Byung-ki, Fr. Paul Kim, Fr. Simon Kim Young-gon, and Fr. Peter Jeong Seung-hwan, with religious sisters from the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and other congregations also serving the community at various times.
- Rev. Joseph Kim (Jinsoo Kim) / 김진수 (요셉) — current pastor
- Parish office: 503-762-6880
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Parle1979
Celebrated the founding Mass of the Oregon Korean Catholic Church on July 8, 1979 at the Marylhurst Convent Chapel (Columban Fathers).
- Father Cho Byung-ki1979
Moved from Seattle to Portland in November 1979 to care for the new Korean mission.
- Father John Hurley1981
Celebrated Mass for the 2nd anniversary of the founding (one-month assignment).
- Father Paul Kim1981-
Celebrated his first Mass upon appointment on August 26, 1981.
- Father Kim Cheolearly 1980s
Concelebrated with Bishop Waldschmidt, Father Loric and Father Park on Dec 13, 1981, when 18 people were confirmed.
- Father Patrick Curtin1984-
Announced by Bishop Waldschmidt on April 26, 1984 as the priest who would celebrate Mass for the community.
- Father Alvarez1984
First Mass celebrated August 5, 1984.
- Father Kim Yun-geun (Peter), Diocese of Busan1988
First Mass celebrated November 28, 1988.
- Father Simon Kim Young-gonto 1994
Farewell on February 20, 1994; donated $2,000 to the church construction fund.
- Father Peter Jeong Seung-hwan1994-
Inauguration Mass celebrated April 17, 1994.
- Rev. Joseph Kim (Jinsoo Kim) / 김진수 (요셉)present
Current pastor / 주임 신부님.