About San Martin de Porres · Dayton, Oregon
San Martin de Porres is a small Catholic mission church located at 407 Ferry Street in Dayton, Oregon, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. It is a Hispanic ministry — all Masses are celebrated in Spanish — serving the Latino community of Dayton and the surrounding Yamhill County area. The mission is currently under the pastoral care of St. John's Parish in Yamhill, OR, and is led by Fr. Julio Torres, assigned to the mission by Archbishop Alexander Sample. Despite its mission status, San Martin de Porres maintains a vibrant liturgical life with two Sunday Masses, a weekly weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and ongoing catechetical and evangelization programs for its growing congregation.
- Established
- circa 1970s (approximately 40 years before 2010, established by Latino farmworkers)
- Patron
- Saint Martin de Porres (1579–1639), Dominican lay brother born in Lima, Peru; patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, and public health workers
- Rector
- Fr. Julio Torres
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon (currently a mission of St. John's Parish, Yamhill, OR)
Why belong here
San Martin de Porres offers a close-knit, Spanish-language Catholic community in Dayton with multiple weekly Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and a full program of faith formation. The mission runs ongoing catechism classes (Catecismos), evangelization programs, and parish events — and parishioners are personally invited to register as contributing members to help the mission grow toward parish status. Maria Martinez and Teresa Medina coordinate flowers and decorations each week, and the parish actively welcomes new servers and volunteers.
Mass times at San Martin de Porres
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (per the parish's own schedule; the parish notes Confession is also available by appointment via the office)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Hora Santa)
- Silent prayer before the Tabernacle during office hours
About the Mission
San Martin de Porres is a Catholic mission church (iglesia/capilla católica en categoría de Misión) serving Dayton, Oregon, in the heart of Yamhill County's wine country. According to the mission's own welcome message, 'Nuestra comunidad es pequeña, pero va en crecimiento' — the community is small but growing. Because it is canonically a mission rather than a parish, San Martin de Porres operates under the tutelage of St. John's Parish in Yamhill, OR, following the norms of Canon Law and the pastoral norms of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
- Status: Mission (in development toward becoming a parish)
- Parent parish: St. John's, Yamhill, OR
- Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
- All services celebrated in Spanish
History & the 'Save San Martin' Campaign
The mission was established nearly 40 years before 2010 by Latino farmworkers, and by 2010 it was drawing about 250 people weekly. That year, the pastor of the then-parent parish St. James in McMinnville announced the mission would close in fall 2010 once a $2–3 million parish expansion was complete. Parishioners organized as 'Save San Martin,' delivered an appeal directly to the Vatican, and protested outside an Archdiocesan Pastoral Council meeting in Portland. Archbishop John G. Vlazny reversed the closure decision in May 2010 and committed to exploring parish status. Today the mission continues under the Archdiocese of Portland, now under the care of St. John's in Yamhill, with Fr. Julio Torres assigned by Archbishop Alexander Sample.
- Founded circa 1970s by Latino farmworkers
- 2010: Archbishop Vlazny reverses planned closure
- Parishioners' appeal hand-delivered to the Vatican by Trini Marquez
- Today operates under St. John's Parish, Yamhill, OR
Clergy & Leadership
The mission is served by Fr. Julio Torres, the priest assigned to San Martin de Porres by Archbishop Alexander Sample. Contact for parish matters is via the mission office at 503-864-2378 or by email at [email protected].
- Fr. Julio Torres — current priest
- Parish office: 503-864-2378
- Email: [email protected]
Faith Formation & Catechism
The mission runs Catecismos (catechism classes) as part of its ongoing faith formation program, along with Programas de Evangelización (evangelization programs). These are central to the mission's stated goal of growing in number and in pastoral and catechetical activity as it develops toward parish status.
- Catecismos (catechism classes)
- Programas de Evangelización
- Parish evangelization events
Parish Life & Volunteer Ministries
San Martin de Porres is a small but active community that depends on parishioners and volunteers. Maria Martinez (503-530-6919) and Teresa Medina (503-899-5789, text only) coordinate the flowers and decorations for the church each week. Servers and volunteers are regularly invited to help across Mass and parish events, and registration as a contributing member of the mission is strongly encouraged to support the mission's growth.
- Flowers and Decorations Ministry — Maria Martinez, Teresa Medina
- Server ministry
- Volunteer corps
- Parish registration for stewardship
Giving & Stewardship
Registered parishioners receive numbered offering envelopes to bring to Mass and place in the offertory basket. Visitors and unregistered attendees can use the 'DONACIÓN' envelopes available at the church entrance. Contributions by check should be made payable to 'Misión San Martin de Porres.' Donations may also be dropped at the Mission office in Dayton on Tuesdays 5:00–8:30 PM or Wednesdays 5:30–7:00 PM, or mailed (checks only) to St. John's Church at 445 N Maple St., Yamhill, OR 97148.
- Use 'DONACIÓN' envelopes at Mass
- Office hours: Tue 5:00–8:30 PM, Wed 5:30–7:00 PM
- Mail checks to St. John's Church, 445 N Maple St., Yamhill, OR 97148
- Make checks payable to 'Misión San Martin de Porres'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Terry O'Connellup to 2010
Pastor of St. James in McMinnville, the parent parish at the time; announced in March 2010 that the Dayton mission would close in fall 2010 after a planned McMinnville expansion.