About Sacred Heart · Newport, Oregon
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Newport, Oregon, on the central Oregon Coast. It is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and serves as the parish church for the wider Lincoln County coast, including its mission Church of St. Mary in Siletz. The parish describes itself as a 'Spirit-led Christian community' and 'a beacon of light on the Oregon Coast,' with weekend Mass offered in both English and Spanish. The current church building, brick on the outside and wood on the inside, was built in 1952 and sits on North Coast Highway (US 101) at 10th Street.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. William Palmer
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a bilingual coastal parish that welcomes both weekend visitors and year-round residents with Mass in English and Spanish, daily Mass in the chapel, Friday adoration, and Saturday confessions. The community runs a hands-on list of ministries — choir, sacristans, prayer chain, campus beautification, community outreach and faith-formation teaching — so there is an easy way to plug in whether you want to sing, serve, pray or help those in need. As the parish puts it, 'Whatever you do for the least of your brethren, you do for me.'
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Welcome to Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart Parish in Newport and Siletz, Oregon, describes itself as 'a Spirit-led Christian community, committed to making ourselves and our world holy by living and proclaiming the good news of our faith as passed down through sacred tradition, while serving those in need in Jesus' name.' The parish positions itself as 'a beacon of light on the Oregon Coast,' welcoming both year-round residents and visitors for Sunday and weekday Mass.
- Parish motto: 'Whatever you do for the least of your brethren, you do for me'
- Welcomes visitors, returning Catholics, and inquirers exploring the Catholic faith
History of the Parish
Catholics first gathered for Mass in Newport in 1889, when the town was a rustic fishing village of muddy streets and horses. The original church on Olive Street had so many holes in the roof that parishioners raced for dry pews. That building is gone; in 1952 the present brick-and-wood church was built at 10th Street and the Coast Highway. In 1905 a neighboring pastor arranged for four Sisters of the Daughters of the Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to teach, planting Catholic education on the coast. The parish marked its 125th anniversary in 2014 with a celebratory Mass, dinner and the blessing of a brand-new religious education building.
- Founded 1889
- 125th anniversary celebrated 2014
- Current church built 1952
- Catholic school roots trace to 1905 with the Daughters of the Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- New religious education building dedicated 2014
- Old 'Ministry House' retired in 2014 after serving as convent, K of C hall, shelter, retreat house and classrooms
Mission Church: St. Mary, Siletz
Sacred Heart is a multi-site parish. Its mission, Church of St. Mary, is located in Siletz, Oregon, about 12 miles inland. The Siletz mission offers the noon Sunday Mass under the title Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Church of St. Mary, 231 E. Logsden Rd., Siletz, OR 97380
- Sunday 12:00 PM Mass — 'Our Lady of Guadalupe in Siletz'
- Same pastor as Sacred Heart Newport (Rev. William Palmer)
Parish Ministries & Volunteering
The parish website lists six core ways to volunteer, ranging from music to campus care to outreach, embodying its Matthew 25 motto of serving 'the least of our brethren.'
- Choir
- Serving at Mass (sacristans / liturgical roles)
- Prayer Chain
- Beautifying the Campus
- Community Outreach
- Teaching (faith formation / religious education)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Catholic education has been part of Sacred Heart's identity since 1905. After years of classes held in the aging Ministry House, in 2014 the parish dedicated a new, purpose-built religious education building with three upstairs classrooms and a large room downstairs. Sandy Cramer, the parish's religious education director, was among those who welcomed parishioners into the new space at the blessing. The parish also invites adults who want to learn about or enter the Catholic faith to call the office, signaling an active inquiry/RCTA process.
- Religious education building dedicated July 2014
- Religious education director: Sandy Cramer
- Children's religious education classes (K-8 area)
- Adult inquiry / RCIA-style process — call parish office to begin
Sacraments
Alongside the regular Mass, Confession and Adoration schedule, Sacred Heart prepares parishioners for the usual sacraments of initiation, healing and vocation. The website invites anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic faith to call the parish office.
- Eucharist — daily and Sunday Mass
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:30-4:30 PM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
- Baptism, Marriage — sacramental preparation through the parish office
Outreach & Community Life
Outreach is one of the parish's six named ministries, and the parish has historically opened its buildings to the wider community: the Ministry House served at various times as a homeless shelter and a retreat house, and the Knights of Columbus long met on the campus. Fundraising for the new education building was a community-wide effort combining pledge drives, car washes, dinners, and bottle and can collections.
- Community Outreach ministry
- Historic use of campus buildings as homeless shelter and retreat house
- Knights of Columbus historically headquartered on campus
- Parish-funded building campaigns through pledges, dinners and bottle drives
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led today by Rev. William Palmer, who also serves as pastor of the St. Mary mission in Siletz. The parish's 2014 anniversary and the blessing of the new education building were led by Father Brian.
- Rev. William Palmer — Pastor (current)
- Father Brian — led 125th anniversary Mass and blessed the new education building (2014)
Visit, Contact & Location
The parish sits right on US 101 in Newport, next door to the local fire station, and is easy to reach from anywhere on the central Oregon Coast. Visitors and inquirers are warmly invited to Sunday or weekday Mass, and to call the office about faith formation or sacramental needs.
- Address: 927 N Coast Hwy, Newport, OR 97365
- Phone: (541) 265-5101
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://sacredheartnewport.org/
- Facebook: Sacred Heart Parish Newport-Siletz Oregon
- Diocese: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Antoine Clermont1905
Pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea who arranged for four Sisters of the Daughters of the Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to come teach, founding Catholic education on the coast
- Unnamed pastor1949-1966
Served Sacred Heart in Newport with missions at St. Patrick's Toledo, St. Mary's Siletz and St. Anthony's Waldport (per Official Catholic Directory records); pastor during the era the present church was being served
- Father Brian2014
Celebrated the parish's 125th anniversary Mass and blessed the new religious education building
- Rev. William Palmercurrent
Current pastor of Sacred Heart Newport and its St. Mary mission in Siletz