About Sacred Heart · Portland, Oregon
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a small, multigenerational Roman Catholic parish in the Brooklyn neighborhood of southeast Portland, Oregon, in the Archdiocese of Portland. Founded in 1893 and served by the Benedictine Fathers of Mount Angel from 1894 to 1998, the parish today numbers about 250–267 households — some families have belonged for five generations. Worshiping under the patronage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the parish emphasizes community-building liturgies, faith formation for children and adults, and hands-on outreach to the poor through its St. Vincent de Paul conference and other ministries.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Tony Galati
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a parish where belonging means being known — about 250 households worship together across generations, with some families attending for five generations. The parish invests deeply in faith formation for every age (Children's Liturgy of the Word, K–8 religious education, OCIA, Bible studies, small faith groups), and the parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference delivers roughly 20 food boxes a month and helps neighbors with rent, utilities, emergency lodging, gas and transportation. Add a brand-new Fellowship Hall, a livestreamed Sunday Mass on YouTube, and ministries like Catholic in Recovery, the Pastoral Care visiting ministry, and the Men's Club coat drive, and Sacred Heart offers both a worshiping home and a hands-on community in the heart of Brooklyn.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays: 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM (or by appointment)
About Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a small, multigenerational Roman Catholic parish of about 250–267 households in the Brooklyn neighborhood of southeast Portland, in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The parish's mission statement describes it as 'a people of faith, graced by God to be His own: a joyful, sometimes struggling, sign of divine presence in our world,' committed to hearing the Good News, immersing itself in the lives of all people, and serving others — 'especially the little ones.' Worshiped under the patronage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the parish focuses on liturgy and sacraments, community-building events, education programs, and social-justice outreach.
Parish History
Sacred Heart was founded in 1893 and asked the Benedictine Fathers of Mount Angel to staff it the next year. For more than a century (1894–1998) the parish was a Benedictine foundation, leaving a mark on the neighborhood so deep that the western edge of Brooklyn is still called 'Benedictine Heights' on Portland maps. The church was originally built at SE Boise Street and Milwaukie Avenue — its interior pillars were cut from trees on the property — and in 1910 it was moved to its present site at SE 11th and Center, on land bought from the Oregon Central Railroad Company. A school, convent and Gregory Hall were added over the decades.
- Founded 1893
- Benedictine Fathers of Mount Angel staffed the parish 1894–1998
- Original site at SE Boise & Milwaukie; pillars cut from on-site trees
- Building moved to SE 11th & Center in 1910
- 'Benedictine Heights' still appears on Portland maps
Neighborhood & Cultural Footprint
From the 1920s through the 1940s Sacred Heart was a hub of Brooklyn social life. Gregory Hall hosted Kiser Studios during the silent-film era — about twelve films were shot on the adjacent sandlot, including Flames, a logging-industry picture in which a young Boris Karloff performed. The parish Young People's Club sponsored dances that drew young people from across the city during the 1940s.
- Gregory Hall leased to Kiser Studios in the 1920s
- About a dozen silent films produced on parish grounds
- Boris Karloff appeared in Flames at Sacred Heart
- Young People's Club dances in the 1940s
Twentieth-Century Pastoral Care & Rebuilding
After World War II the rectory became a shipping point for clothing, blankets and food bound for war-torn Europe. Sacred Heart School closed in 1992; the Early Childhood Center that took it over closed three years later due to seismic-code issues. In 2004 the parish sold property for a senior living facility, and in 2005 both Gregory Hall and the school building were demolished. A capital campaign launched in 2014 produced the current Fellowship Hall, dedicated five years later.
- Sacred Heart School closed 1992
- Gregory Hall and school demolished 2005
- Fellowship Hall completed after a 2014 capital campaign
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
Sacred Heart celebrates a simple, English-language weekly schedule: a Saturday Vigil Mass, one Sunday morning Mass, and three weekday Masses on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The Anointing of the Sick is offered each Thursday after the 11:00 AM weekday Mass (and in Advent and Lent), and the Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:30 PM
- Sunday Mass — 10:00 AM
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday — 11:00 AM
- Anointing of the Sick — Thursdays after 11:00 AM Mass
- Sunday Mass livestreamed on youtube.com/@SacredHeartPDX
Sacraments
Sacred Heart prepares parishioners for all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist (First Communion) are arranged through the Parish Office; Matrimony is coordinated by Business Manager Peggy Ryan; those discerning Holy Orders are invited to speak with Fr. Mike Kueber. Sacramental Preparation classes are held separately from the regular Religious Education program for Children.
- Baptism — contact the Parish Office
- Confirmation — contact the Parish Office
- First Communion / First Reconciliation Preparation
- Matrimony — contact Peggy Ryan
- Holy Orders — contact Fr. Mike Kueber
- Anointing of the Sick — Thursdays after Mass or by request
- Penance — Saturdays 3:30–4:15 PM
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's formation page makes the case that faith education continues from cradle to grave. For children there is Religious Education for grades PreK–8 (directed by Jennifer Anderson), Children's Liturgy of the Word on first Sundays, and Sacramental Preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation. For adults there are small faith-sharing groups, Bible studies, and OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), which the parish notes is open to all parishioners who wish to deepen their faith.
- Religious Education, PreK–Grade 8
- Children's Liturgy of the Word on first Sundays
- First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation preparation classes
- Adult Bible studies and small faith groups
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Social outreach as formation — e.g., St. Vincent de Paul
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Sacred Heart's ministries pair worship with service. The St. Vincent de Paul conference, one of 47 under the Portland SVdP Council, delivers roughly 20 food boxes a month (each containing 5–7 days of food) and helps with rent, utilities, emergency lodging, gas and transportation. The Pastoral Care Ministry visits and brings Holy Communion to homebound parishioners; the Hospitality Committee hosts the Parish Thanksgiving Dinner, Strawberry Shortcake Weekend and parish receptions; and four times a year parishioners assemble 15 sack lunches for the homeless.
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference — food boxes, rent/utility/transportation help
- Pastoral Care Ministry — visits and Holy Communion to the homebound
- Hospitality Committee
- Sack-lunch assembly for the homeless (4x/year)
- St. Vincent Mission (Kentucky) support since the 1990s
Men's Club & Community Events
The Sacred Heart Men's Club supports existing ministries and parish facilities and runs a number of community-service events, including an annual Coat Drive for the homeless, the Prayer Cut Golf Tournament, a Pancake Breakfast, and a Spaghetti Dinner. Catholic in Recovery meetings are held on the parish grounds on Fridays at 6:00 PM.
- Annual Coat Drive for the homeless
- Prayer Cut Golf Tournament
- Pancake Breakfast
- Spaghetti Dinner
- Catholic in Recovery — Fridays at 6:00 PM
Fellowship Hall
Completed after a 2014 capital campaign, Sacred Heart's Fellowship Hall is a state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot gathering space designed by parishioners with community input. It features natural light-filled rooms, capacity for 234 guests, a commercial kitchen, and full ADA accessibility, and is available for community rentals including wedding receptions, business meetings, family gatherings, retreats, workshops, seminars and reunions.
- 5,000 sq ft of light-filled space
- Capacity for 234 guests
- Commercial kitchen
- Fully ADA accessible
- Available for community rentals
Parish Staff & Leadership
- Peggy Ryan — Business Manager
- Karen Chapman — Bookkeeper
- Office Receptionist
- Jennifer Anderson — Religious Education Director
- Marie Phillipi — Music Director
- John Limb — Head of Pastoral Council
- Brian Thomas — Head of Administrative Council
Visit, Contact & Connect
Parishioners and visitors can reach Sacred Heart by phone, fax, email, Facebook, or its YouTube livestream. The Parish Office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Anyone in need of the Anointing of the Sick in an emergency is invited to call the parish line at any time.
- Phone: 503-231-9636
- Fax: 503-231-1766
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Facebook: facebook.com/SacredHeartPortland
- YouTube livestream: youtube.com/@SacredHeartPDX
- Emergency Anointing: call 503-231-9636 anytime
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Gregory Robl1903–1945
Long-serving Benedictine pastor who organized food and jobs for the poor after the 1929 crash and led the parish through the early 20th-century growth.