About Our Lady of Fatima · Shady Cove, Oregon
Our Lady of Fatima is a small Catholic parish serving the rural community of Shady Cove, Oregon, located on Williams Lane off Highway 62 near the Rogue River and Lost Creek Lake. Established as a separate parish in 1970 by Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father William A. Leising at the invitation of Archbishop Robert Dwyer of Portland, it had earlier roots as a chapel mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Medford (the chapel was blessed and dedicated in May 1955). The parish has been administered as a mission of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Medford and is part of the Southern Oregon Vicariate of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. Saturday Vigil Mass and confessions are celebrated in the parish church, which is also home to a custom floral memorial stained-glass window honoring a deceased parishioner.
- Established
- 1970
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fatima (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima)
- Rector
- Fr. Ken Sampson (Pastor of Sacred Heart, Medford; Our Lady of Fatima is administered as a parish in the Southern Oregon Vicariate under his oversight)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
Our Lady of Fatima offers Catholics in the Upper Rogue River Valley a small, close-knit parish home with the steady rhythm of Saturday Vigil Mass and confessions at the same convenient evening time. As a parish in the Southern Oregon Vicariate of the Archdiocese of Portland, it is cared for by the experienced clergy and deacons of nearby Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Medford, giving Shady Cove-area families ready access to the sacraments, faith formation in both English and Spanish, and outreach ministries to the homebound and hospitalized. Its worship space features a recently commissioned memorial stained-glass window honoring a deceased parishioner — a tangible sign of a community that remembers and prays for its own.
Mass times at Our Lady of Fatima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM (before Vigil Mass)
History of Our Lady of Fatima Parish
Catholic life in Shady Cove began as a chapel mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Medford in the early 1950s. The chapel was blessed and dedicated in May 1955 with Father Deis of Medford presiding, and parishioners — aided by the Knights of Columbus from Sacred Heart in Medford — did the manual labor of preparing the grounds. In 1970, Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest Father William A. Leising established Our Lady of Fatima as a separate parish at the invitation of Archbishop Robert Dwyer. Fr. Leising led the parish for twenty years until his retirement in 1990, by which time the parish had grown to roughly 340 families. Administration has subsequently been shared with Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Medford.
- Chapel blessed and dedicated May 1955 (Father Deis of Medford presiding)
- Parish founded 1970 by Fr. William A. Leising, O.M.I.
- Fr. Leising served as pastor 1970–1990
- Listed in the Southern Oregon Vicariate of the Archdiocese of Portland
Father William A. Leising, O.M.I. — Founding Pastor
Fr. William A. Leising (1917/1918–2012) was an Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest, bush pilot, author, and missionary who founded Our Lady of Fatima Parish in 1970. Born in East Amherst, New York, the eldest of nine children, he entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1933 and was ordained on May 27, 1940 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Francis Spellman. He spent twenty-five years serving the Arctic Missions of the Mackenzie in Canada, obtained a pilot's license in 1950, and in 1958–1959 wrote the memoir 'Arctic Wings,' published by Doubleday, which sold over half a million copies. After assignments at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois, and St. Aloysius Parish in Greenbush, Minnesota, he accepted Archbishop Robert Dwyer's invitation to establish Our Lady of Fatima in 1970. He retired in 1990 to Shady Point, Oregon, and died May 10, 2012 in Medford at age 94.
- Ordained May 27, 1940 by Archbishop Francis Spellman
- Author of 'Arctic Wings' (Doubleday, 1959)
- Founded Our Lady of Fatima in 1970 at Archbishop Dwyer's invitation
- Pastor 1970–1990
- Died May 10, 2012 in Medford, OR
Memorial Stained-Glass Window
The parish worship space is distinguished by a custom floral memorial stained-glass window commissioned to honor a deceased parishioner. Working remotely with the parish committee, Stained Glass Inc. produced a panel based on an existing library design, enhanced with floral additions and traditional Catholic symbolism. Several revisions were made before the finished piece was delivered and installed just two weeks after approval, in time for Sunday services so that the congregation could see and appreciate the memorial in use.
- Custom memorial window with floral enhancements
- Traditional Catholic symbolism
- Designed collaboratively with parish committee via phone and email
- Installed in time for Sunday services — about two weeks after approval
Connection to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Medford
Our Lady of Fatima is administered alongside Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Medford, which serves as the central parish for the Southern Oregon Vicariate. Pastor Fr. Ken Sampson oversees both communities, and Sacred Heart's deacons and pastoral staff extend their ministries to Shady Cove — including outreach to the homebound, hospital chaplaincy (Deacon Dennis Macey serves as a volunteer chaplain at Asante Hospital), and funeral/committal services. Sacred Heart offers Mass in English, Spanish, and Latin, and provides parish-school and religious-education programming that benefits families from across the Rogue Valley.
- Fr. Ken Sampson — Pastor and Vicar Forane, Southern Oregon
- Fr. James Ladd — Priest in residence
- Deacon Ron Filardi (ordained 1991)
- Deacon Dennis Macey (ordained 2017) — outreach to seniors, hospital chaplaincy
- Ann Brophy — Pastoral Associate (over 20 years)
- Parish addresses: 56 Williams Ln (Shady Cove); 517 W 10th St (Medford)
2010 Archdiocese of Portland Reassignments
In the 2010 parish reassignments announced by the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, Father Michael Walker was named pastor of both Shepherd of the Valley in Central Point and Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Shady Cove, while Father Theodore Lange was assigned as parochial vicar at both parishes.
- Fr. Michael Walker — Pastor (also Shepherd of the Valley, Central Point)
- Fr. Theodore Lange — Parochial Vicar (ordained for Portland after studies at the Pontifical North American College)
Sacred Heart Parish Staff (2024–2025)
Sacred Heart's pastoral team, which serves Our Lady of Fatima, includes Fr. Ken Sampson as pastor, Fr. James Ladd as priest in residence, two permanent deacons, a pastoral associate, religious-education coordinators in English and Spanish, a music coordinator, a director of administration, and a parish-maintenance team. A discernment night for high-school-aged young men was hosted at Sacred Heart on July 21, 2024, organized by seminarians and a transitional deacon assigned to the parish.
- Fr. Ken Sampson — Pastor (2nd term)
- Fr. James Ladd — Priest in residence
- Deacon Ron Filardi — ordained 1991
- Deacon Dennis Macey — ordained 2017
- Ann Brophy — Pastoral Associate
- Carrie Jantzer — Religious Education Coordinator (English)
- Veronica Bañuelos — Religious Education Coordinator (Spanish)
- Bernice Gutierrez — Hispanic Ministry
- Sharon Dady — Music Coordinator
Shady Cove & the Upper Rogue Valley
Shady Cove is a small city on the Rogue River in Jackson County, Oregon. The community grew in the 1960s when its population rose from a few hundred to over 1,300, and again with the construction of Lost Creek Lake and Dam nine miles north of town. Catholic life here is served by Our Lady of Fatima Parish. The Shady Cove Welcome Packet (City of Shady Cove, April 2017) lists Our Lady of Fatima among the community's churches, with the parish address of 56 Williams Lane.
- Shady Cove incorporated as a city in 1972
- Located at a bend in the Rogue River
- Lost Creek Lake and Dam built nine miles north of town
- Part of Jackson County, Oregon
Patron & Marian Title
Our Lady of Fatima takes its name from the Marian apparitions reported by three Portuguese shepherd children at the Cova da Iria near Fátima, Portugal, beginning May 13, 1917. The parish's dedication to Our Lady of Fatima places it in a worldwide Catholic devotional tradition centered on the Rosary, prayer for peace, and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The parish is also listed in the Shrine of Fatima's own international directory of Our Lady of Fatima parishes.
- Feast day: May 13 (Feast of Our Lady of Fatima)
- First apparition of Our Lady: May 13, 1917 at Fátima, Portugal
- Parish listed in the Shrine of Fátima's international directory (fatima.pt)
Visiting & Contact Information
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed. The parish church is located at 56 Williams Lane in Shady Cove, Oregon, on Williams Lane off Highway 62, near the Shady Cove post office. Confessions are heard Saturday from 5:00–5:20 PM, with Vigil Mass following at 5:30 PM. The parish shares a single phone line — (541) 878-2479 — with the Sacred Heart Catholic Church offices in Medford, which also serves as the mailing and administrative hub.
- Address: 56 Williams Lane, Shady Cove, OR 97539
- Phone: (541) 878-2479
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:30 PM
- Confessions: Saturday 5:00–5:20 PM
- Administrative office: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 517 W 10th St, Medford, OR 97501 — (541) 779-4661
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William A. Leising, O.M.I.1970–1990
Founding pastor; Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest, pilot, author of 'Arctic Wings,' invited by Archbishop Robert Dwyer of Portland to establish the parish; served 20 years and grew the parish to ~340 families before retiring to Shady Point, OR.
- Fr. Michael Walker2010
Assigned as pastor of Our Lady of Fatima in addition to Shepherd of the Valley in Central Point in the 2010 Archdiocese of Portland reassignments; born 1966 in Anaheim, CA, ordained 1999.
- Fr. Theodore Lange2010
Assigned as parochial vicar of Shepherd of the Valley in Central Point and Our Lady of Fatima in Shady Cove in 2010; ordained for the Archdiocese of Portland after studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
- Fr. Ken Sampson2013–present (oversight)
Pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Medford since 2013 (now in his second/final term). Our Lady of Fatima is listed in the Southern Oregon Vicariate under his role as Vicar Forane; originally from Ronan, Montana, former Discalced Carmelite brother (OCD).