About St. Alexander · Cornelius, Oregon
St. Alexander Parish (San Alejandro) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Cornelius, Oregon, a small agricultural town in Washington County in the Tualatin Valley. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and is led by Fr. David Schiferl, who has served as pastor since July 2003. St. Alexander is one of the largest Spanish-speaking parishes in the archdiocese, celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish every day of the week and offering a monthly trilingual Mass in Spanish, English, and American Sign Language. The parish is widely known for its universal-design sanctuary, completed and dedicated in 2017, which was built from the ground up to welcome parishioners of every ability, and for the deep commitment of a largely Hispanic community in one of Oregon's most economically challenged zip codes.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- Saint Alexander I, Pope and Martyr (c. 105–115 AD)
- Rector
- Rev. David Schiferl
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Alexander is a place where a small-town, largely Hispanic community has built something rare: a parish where Sunday Mass is offered six times (mostly in Spanish) and weekday Mass every day, where the Blessed Sacrament is adored for hours on end, and where the sanctuary was designed so that any person—wheelchair user, Deaf parishioner, blind visitor, parent with a stroller—can walk in and take full part. Add a robust faith-formation program, a pastoral associate, Spanish prayer groups, a Peace and Justice Committee, youth volleyball and an Easter egg hunt, and a parish staff that hosts a multigenerational, multilingual community life, and St. Alexander becomes less a church to attend than a place to belong.
Mass times at St. Alexander
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Friday 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Adoration times
- Saturday 8:00 PM – 12:00 AM (midnight) on the last Saturday of the month (Spanish)
About St. Alexander Parish
St. Alexander Parish is a bilingual Roman Catholic community in Cornelius, Oregon, in the heart of Washington County's agricultural Tualatin Valley. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and is one of the largest Spanish-speaking parishes in the archdiocese, with Sunday Masses offered six times and weekday Mass every day. A monthly trilingual Mass in Spanish, English, and American Sign Language makes the parish a gathering point for the Catholic Deaf Hispanic community across the region. Pastor Fr. David Schiferl has served the parish since July 2003, building a reputation across the Pacific Northwest for thoughtful, inclusive ministry.
- Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
- Bilingual English/Spanish parish; ASL at one Sunday Mass each month
- Led by Fr. David Schiferl since 2003
- Located at 170 N. 10th Avenue, Cornelius, OR
History & Heritage
Catholic life in the Cornelius area predates the present parish. A mission church in South Cornelius—on land donated by Mrs. Mary Brocade Schmitt—dates to 1888 and was served by the pioneer priest Rev. Dominic Faber. The present St. Alexander parish was founded in 1909 when Cornelius William Hendricks donated the half-block on Pine Street; the wood-frame church was dedicated on May 8, 1910 by Archbishop Alexander Christie. A succession of pastors—Buck, Campfield, Murphy, and Boesch—served the small farming community in its first decades, and the parish was supported by a Ladies' Altar Society, a Cecelian Choir, and a Study Club. After a century of slow growth, the Hispanic community swelled the pews far beyond the 175 seats of the original church, prompting a decade of fundraising and a master plan that produced the new 2017 sanctuary.
- 1888: South Cornelius Catholic mission established (Rev. Dominic Faber)
- 1909: Parish founded; land donated by C. W. Hendricks
- May 8, 1910: Original church dedicated by Archbishop Alexander Christie
- 1920s: Rev. E. P. Murphy returns from WWI; Rev. M. E. Bozech becomes pastor
- 2010s: Master plan created; new sanctuary built as Phase 1
- August 27, 2017: New church dedicated
The 2017 Sanctuary & Architecture
The new sanctuary, designed by Soderstrom Architects and completed as Phase 1 of a multi-phase master plan, was deliberately built in a California Mission style to reflect the largely Hispanic congregation, while the original 1910 white-board church was preserved. The new building seats about 650 and is linked to the old church by a covered walkway, with a prayer grotto and public celebration space between them. Phase 2 added new classrooms, offices, expanded bathrooms, a kitchen, a playground, and a courtyard.
- Mission-style design evoking 200-year-old California missions
- Seats approximately 650
- Connected to original 1910 church by a covered walkway
- Prayer grotto between old and new buildings
- Phase 2: classrooms, offices, kitchen, playground, courtyard
Universal Design & Disability Inclusion
St. Alexander's new sanctuary is widely cited as a model of Catholic accessibility. Every door is automated and can be triggered by a wheelchair user from six feet away; the entire interior is on one level with gently sloped aisles tested with walkers, canes, and wheelchairs; the confessional accommodates wheelchairs on both sides; the ambo has a hydraulic lift; lighting is calibrated to avoid shadows and glare; and a camera above the baptism font broadcasts to screens at the front of the church. On the first Sunday of each month, the 3 PM Mass is an adapted liturgy specifically for people with disabilities, and the parish hosts a monthly trilingual Mass in Spanish, English, and ASL that draws the Catholic Deaf Hispanic community from across the region. Low-gluten hosts are routinely available for Catholics with celiac disease, and a special chalice with color-coded oral syringes sits on the altar for those who cannot receive Communion in the usual form.
- Every entrance door is automated
- Single-level sanctuary with gently sloped aisles
- Wheelchair-accessible confessional on the side of the altar
- Hydraulic-lift ambo
- Camera over the baptism font linked to front-of-church screens
- Assistive Listening Devices available from ushers
- 1st Sunday 3 PM: adapted liturgy for people with disabilities
- Monthly trilingual Mass in Spanish, English, and ASL
- Low-gluten hosts available
Faith Formation, Youth & Family Life
Religious education is a major pillar of parish life. The parish runs a strong faith-formation program for children and youth, and annually thanks its catechists with an ice cream social. Family-friendly events fill the year: a summer youth volleyball league, a Living Stations of the Cross during Lent, a Pentecost vigil, and an Easter Egg hunt. In November, parishioners are invited to inscribe the names of their deceased loved ones in the Book of Remembrance at the front of the church.
- Faith Formation / Religious Education program
- Annual catechist ice cream social
- Summer youth volleyball
- Living Stations of the Cross in Lent
- Pentecost vigil
- Easter Egg hunt
- November Book of Remembrance
Community, Outreach & Justice
The parish's identity is shaped as much by outreach as by liturgy. The Peace and Justice Committee organizes social-action initiatives; Spanish Prayer Groups meet regularly for shared devotion; and the parish grounds see ongoing workdays like leaf clean-up and cemetery clean-up at the adjacent Fern Hill Cemetery. The parish is sustained in part by pledges from sister parishes across the Archdiocese of Portland, a reflection of the broader Catholic community's investment in a parish that serves one of the poorest ZIP codes in Oregon.
- Peace and Justice Committee
- Spanish Prayer Groups
- Parish workdays (leaf clean-up, cemetery clean-up)
- Fern Hill Cemetery, adjacent to the original South Cornelius mission site
- Supported by pledges from parishes across the Archdiocese
Clergy & Staff
Fr. David Schiferl is the pastor. The youngest of nine children, he was born and raised in central Wisconsin, earned a B.S. in Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and an M.S. at the University of Toronto (with an emphasis on user interface design), moved to Oregon in 1984, and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Portland in 2001. He has served St. Alexander since July 2003 and is widely recognized for his work on parish accessibility, presenting on 'Collaborating with Parishes: How to Build an Accessible Church' for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. Priests from across the archdiocese regularly visit to concelebrate Mass and support the large, multilingual congregation. The parish also lists a Pastoral Associate (Neela Kale) and a bookkeeper (Eva Alvarado) among its staff.
- Fr. David Schiferl — Pastor (since July 2003)
- Eva Alvarado — Bookkeeper
- Neela Kale — Pastoral Associate
- Visiting priests from across the Archdiocese of Portland
Planning Your Visit
The parish sits at 170 N. 10th Avenue in Cornelius, on the corner of Barlow Street and 10th Avenue, easily found from Highway 8 (Tualatin Valley Highway) through the heart of Washington County farming country. The parish office is reachable at (503) 359-0304, with email [email protected]. Whether you arrive for a Spanish weekday Mass, an English Sunday morning Mass, the adapted liturgy on the first Sunday, or the monthly all-night Adoration, the sanctuary is designed so that every person—regardless of mobility, hearing, or vision—can enter, participate, and feel fully at home.
- Address: 170 N. 10th Avenue, Cornelius, OR 97113
- Mailing: P.O. Box 644, Cornelius, OR 97113
- Phone: (503) 359-0304
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stalexandercornelius.org
- Fully wheelchair-accessible sanctuary with assistive listening devices
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jacob Reverdy Buck1909–1917
Founding pastor of the present Cornelius parish.
- Rev. George J. Campfield1918–1919
- Rev. E. P. Murphy1919–1921
Returned from service in the trenches of France.
- Rev. M. E. Boesch1922–
Listed in 1937 history as the then-current pastor ('the present Father').
- Rev. David SchiferlJuly 2003–present
Ordained for the Archdiocese of Portland in 2001; holds an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Toronto.