About St. Anthony Catholic Church · Tigard, Oregon
St. Anthony Catholic Church is a diverse, multilingual Roman Catholic parish located at 9905 SW McKenzie Street in Tigard, Oregon, within the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The parish serves the Tigard community with Mass celebrated in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, and it operates alongside St. Anthony School, a PreK-8 Catholic elementary school founded in 1922. Under the pastoral vision of being "Dynamic Disciples of Jesus Christ," St. Anthony emphasizes stewardship, faith formation, social justice, and outreach through ministries including the local St. Vincent de Paul conference, a weekly Community Café, a parish cemetery, and an active school and youth ministry.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- St. Anthony
- Rector
- Fr. John Henderson
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Anthony is a multicultural Catholic community in the heart of Tigard where Mass is celebrated in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese every week, and where faith formation runs the gamut from OCIA (RCIA) for those exploring Catholicism through Disciples Believe and Disciples Grow adult learning tracks to a PreK-8 Catholic school with deep roots in the parish. Parishioners are invited to put faith into action through a robust social ministry — the local St. Vincent de Paul conference runs a free Sunday night Community Café that has served more than 65,000 meals since 2009, plus an emergency food pantry, rent and utility assistance, and the parish cemetery. With active music, youth, and liturgical ministries, Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters service groups, and a clear stewardship vision of forming 'Dynamic Disciples of Jesus Christ,' the parish offers concrete ways for newcomers and longtime members to belong, serve, and grow.
Mass times at St. Anthony Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
- Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
- Saturday (additional): 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
- Tuesday (additional): 11:15 AM – 12:45 PM
Adoration times
- Weekday Adoration during office hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Evening Adoration: Tuesday–Thursday 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
- Saturday Adoration: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Parish History
St. Anthony's roots go back to 1878, when Archbishop Blanchet appointed Father Joseph Hermann to serve Washington County Catholics. A Franciscan priest arrived in 1910, purchased land, and built the first wooden church on SW Pacific Highway; the first Mass was celebrated on Easter Sunday 1911. A larger church was constructed next door in 1959, and the parish school (founded informally around 1912, officially in 1922) has been a cornerstone of the community ever since.
- 1878 – Archbishop Blanchet sends Father Joseph Hermann to Washington County
- 1910 – Franciscan priest purchases land in Tigard
- 1911 (Easter Sunday) – First Mass in new St. Anthony's Church
- 1959 – New, larger church built next to the original
- 1922 – School officially opens
- 1930 – School destroyed by fire; rebuilt 1931
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Fr. John Henderson as Pastor with Fr. Theo Lange serving as Parochial Vicar. A sizeable staff supports liturgy, formation, school, music, youth, social justice, and operations.
- Fr. John Henderson — Pastor
- Fr. Theo Lange — Parochial Vicar
- Dr. Gary Beckley — School Principal
- Miriam Marston — Director of Faith Formation
- Danny Rauda — Social Justice Ministry
- Andy Nichols — Executive Director of Development
- Jim Haberski — Cemetery Director
- Gerlinde Lamer — Assistant to the Pastor
- Jerry Voelker — Business Manager
- Nichlas Schaal — Music Ministry
- Daniel Serrano — Youth Ministry
Faith Formation & Becoming Catholic
Adults interested in joining the Church enter through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the modern name for the RCIA process. The parish also runs two ongoing adult learning series — Disciples Believe (a 10-session intro to Catholicism, also used for adults preparing for Confirmation) and Disciples Grow (a deeper-dive study series) — as well as periodic Discipleship Evenings with the pastor.
- OCIA (RCIA) – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Disciples Believe – 10-session introductory course (Tuesday evenings, free)
- Disciples Grow – continuing formation for established Catholics
- Discipleship Evenings with Fr. John Henderson
- Infant baptism – contact Kathy Reilly at [email protected]
- Adult baptism leadership team
St. Anthony School
St. Anthony School is a PreK-8 Catholic elementary school that has served the Tigard community for nearly a century, producing graduates who have gone on to great accomplishments. The school is accredited by WCEA and is a member of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA).
- Founded in 1922 within church facilities; school building dates to 1931
- 360+ students, PreK-8, two classes per grade
- Accredited by WCEA; member of NCEA
- 35 teachers/support staff; ~85% hold advanced degrees
- 100% of 8th-grade applicants accepted into private high schools
- More than 70% of students score above national average in Math and Reading
- CYO-sponsored athletics (Basketball, Track, Volleyball)
- Specialist teachers in Art, Music, PE, Spanish
- Traveling study programs for grades 5–8 (Newport, Outdoor School, Bay Area, Washington DC)
- Principal: Dr. Gary Beckley
Social Justice & Outreach
St. Anthony frames its outreach around the USCCB's 'Two Feet of Love in Action' — charity and justice — and channels them through the Love in Action Committee (LAC) and Action Teams. The parish is home to the Tigard Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which runs a food pantry, utility and rent assistance, and the famous Community Café free Sunday dinner.
- Love in Action Committee (8-12 parish leaders)
- Seven pillars of parish social ministry (USCCB Communities of Salt and Light)
- St. Vincent de Paul – Tigard Conference
- Community Café – free Sunday dinner, 5:30–6:30 PM, Francis Hall
- Emergency Food Pantry (Mon, Wed, Fri 12:00–2:30 PM; Thu 4:30–6:00 PM; Sat 10:00 AM–12:00 PM)
- Utility, rent, and water assistance
- Global Solidarity, Community Organizing, Legislative Advocacy, Family pillars
Community Café & St. Vincent de Paul
Since January 2009, the St. Vincent de Paul Tigard Conference has sponsored a free Sunday night meal in Francis Hall, serving the Tigard community. After pivoting to To-Go meals in March 2020, the program has continued to provide weekly meals complete with drinks and dessert/snacks. More than 65,000 meals have been served free of charge over the life of the program.
- Location: Francis Hall (across the street from the church, corner of McKenzie and Grant)
- Schedule: Sundays, doors open 5:00 PM, meal served 5:30–6:30 PM
- Service area: Tigard ZIP codes 97223 and 97224, plus registered parish members
- Assistance line: 971-772-1233 (rent, food, utilities); 971-329-9038 (water)
Parish Cemetery & Funerals
St. Anthony Parish Cemetery, located at the corner of SW 115th & Gaarde Street, has been serving the parish since 1890. The parish regards Catholic burial as an act of deep spiritual significance and a Corporal Work of Mercy. The pastoral team assists families through the Order of Christian Funerals, which includes a Vigil Service, Funeral Mass, and Rite of Committal.
- Cemetery address: SW 115th & Gaarde Street, Tigard
- Serving the parish since 1890
- Cemetery Director: Jim Haberski (cell 503-737-9421; office 503-352-9826; [email protected])
- Graveside plots and columbarium niches available
- Order of Christian Funerals offered: Vigil, Funeral Mass, Committal
Service & Fellowship Groups
St. Anthony has several active service and fellowship organizations that bring parishioners together around shared mission and identity.
- Knights of Columbus — Men's service group
- Catholic Daughters — Women's service group
- Sunday Communion Café / Hospitality & Greeting Teams
- Music Ministry — Nichlas Schaal
- Youth Ministry — Daniel Serrano
Live Streaming & Online Giving
The parish live-streams nearly all of its services — only the Sunday 7:00 AM and 8:15 AM English Masses are not streamed — through a dedicated Live Stream Video page on the parish website. Online stewardship and giving are available through the parish's Stewardship / Your Parish Giving portal.
- Live stream available for all services except Sunday 7:00 AM and 8:15 AM English Masses
- Live stream page: satigard.org/livestream
- Online giving / stewardship pledge available on the parish website
- Anointing of the Sick / Emergency line: 503-862-9077