About St. Elizabeth of Hungary · Portland, Oregon
St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a small, Christ-centered Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, located at 4112 SW 6th Avenue Drive in the Southwest Portland neighborhood near OHSU, Doernbecher Children's Hospital, and the VA Medical Center. Founded in 1953, the parish has long been served by the Paulist Fathers, and today is led by Fr. Charles "Chuck" Wood, with Mary Nisbet serving as Pastoral Assistant. The parish describes itself as a "Holy-Spirit-led family of faith" that welcomes visitors, returning Catholics, and hospital neighbors into its worship, faith formation, and outreach life.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth of Hungary
- Rector
- Rev. Charles "Chuck" Wood
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a small, walkable parish where people are likely to know one another by name — a real asset in a busy medical-center neighborhood where many parishioners are connected to OHSU, Doernbecher, and the VA Hospital. The parish offers the full rhythm of Catholic sacramental life — daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, two Sunday Masses, Saturday Vigil, and Saturday confession — alongside RCIA, First Communion classes, a choir, small-group faith sharing, Lenten soup suppers, hospitality after Mass, and outreach such as a clothing collection for the homeless and food support for Immaculate Heart Parish's food pantry. It is an easy place to visit, to return to the Church, or simply to pray mid-week.
Mass times at St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 pm (unless otherwise noted on the website and calendar)
- After daily Mass (Tuesday–Friday)
- By appointment — call the parish office
Welcome & Identity
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church is a friendly, Christ-centered parish in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The parish's own description is simple: "a Christ-centered, Holy-Spirit-led family of faith near OHSU, Doernbecher Children's Hospital, and the VA Hospital." Fr. Chuck Wood and all parish members explicitly invite newcomers to join them. The parish is intentionally small and welcoming, a place where people can easily walk in for daily Mass or Saturday confession.
- Parish motto / self-description: "a Christ-centered, Holy-Spirit-led family of faith"
- Located at 4112 SW 6th Avenue Drive, Portland, OR 97239-4280
- Phone: (503) 222-2168
History & Heritage
The parish was founded in 1953 and incorporated on July 20, 1953 as a domestic nonprofit corporation in Oregon. For much of its modern life it has been served by the Paulist Fathers (C.S.P.); Paulist Fr. James M. Kolb was pastor through the 2010s and is affectionately called "Fr. Jim" in bulletins and homilies. When the Paulist Fathers announced in 2016 that they were withdrawing from St. Philip Neri Parish in Portland, they specifically noted that Fr. Jim Kolb would remain pastor at St. Elizabeth of Hungary, keeping a Paulist presence on the west side of the Willamette.
- Founded 1953
- Incorporated July 20, 1953 (Oregon Registry #5269519)
- Longtime pastor: Rev. James M. Kolb, C.S.P. (Paulist)
- Current pastor: Rev. Charles "Chuck" Wood
Lent & Holy Week
Lent at St. Elizabeth is marked by prayer, fasting, and shared meals. Tuesdays in Lent the parish gathers for a 6:00 pm Prayer Service followed by a simple Soup & Bread Supper in the parish hall — a long-standing tradition. The parish also joins Catholic Relief Services' Operation Rice Bowl, with 25% of proceeds staying in western Oregon to combat local hunger. On Ash Wednesday Mass is offered at 8:30 am and 7:00 pm. Holy Week brings the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, the Celebration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday Masses at 9:00 am and 11:00 am.
- Tuesdays in Lent: 6:00 pm Prayer Service + Soup & Bread Supper
- Ash Wednesday Mass: 8:30 am and 7:00 pm
- Operation Rice Bowl / Catholic Relief Services
- Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday
Faith Formation & Sacraments
The parish runs a First Communion class for children and an RCIA program for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church or receive sacraments. Sign-up sheets are placed in the gathering area at the back of the church each fall, and inquiries go to Elizabeth / the parish office at [email protected] or (503) 222-2168. Baptisms of infants and young children are celebrated at Mass (parish bulletins regularly welcome new babies such as Rafferty John Sullivan into the community), and the parish also celebrates wedding anniversaries at Mass — including 40th anniversary vow renewals at Sunday Mass.
- First Communion class
- RCIA for adults
- Infant baptisms at Mass
- Marriage preparation and anniversary blessings
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music is an important part of parish life, especially during Lent and Holy Week. The choir welcomes new singers and instrumentalists for the Holy Week liturgies, with practices scheduled on selected Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm during Lent.
- Parish Choir welcomes singers and instrumentalists
- Lent/Holy Week rehearsals: Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 6:30–8:30 pm
Hospitality & Parish Fellowship
After Sunday Mass, parishioners rotate hosting hospitality — coffee, treats, and the long-running Saturday Wine & Cheese — with families signing up to serve at specific Masses. The annual updated Parish Directory is another fellowship touchstone, with suggested donations helping fund parish needs.
- Saturday Wine & Cheese after the 4:00 pm Vigil
- Sunday hospitality after 9:00 am and 11:00 am Masses
- Parish Directory with suggested $20 donation
Outreach & Charity
St. Elizabeth's small size doesn't stop it from having a real outreach footprint. Food Sunday collections fill baskets for the Immaculate Heart Parish food pantry. A seasonal clothing collection gathers umbrellas, coats, gloves, hats, scarves, sweatshirts, sweaters, fleeces, shoes/boots, men's jeans/pants, and new socks/underwear for the homeless. The parish also takes up the annual Catholic Home Missions Collection and participates in the Archbishop's Catholic Appeal.
- Food Sunday for Immaculate Heart food pantry
- Clothing collection for the homeless (winter months)
- Catholic Home Missions Collection
- Archbishop's Catholic Appeal (ACA)
- Operation Rice Bowl
Parish Fundraisers
The annual St. Elizabeth Golf Scramble is one of the parish's main fundraisers, typically held in late spring or early summer at Red Tail Golf Course in Beaverton.
- St. Elizabeth Golf Scramble at Red Tail Golf Course, Beaverton
- Easter Flower memorial donations (suggested $15)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Charles "Chuck" Wood, pastor. Mary Nisbet serves as Pastoral Assistant and is the main point of contact for the parish office during weekday hours (9:30 am – 5:30 pm, Monday–Friday, per recent bulletins). A longtime predecessor pastor, Fr. James M. Kolb, C.S.P. — a Paulist Father — served the parish through the 2010s and is fondly remembered in bulletins and by the Paulist Fathers nationally.
- Fr. Charles "Chuck" Wood — Pastor ([email protected])
- Mary Nisbet — Pastoral Assistant ([email protected])
- Rev. James M. Kolb, C.S.P. — former pastor (Paulist)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James M. Kolb, C.S.P.
Paulist Father who served as pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary; still pastor in 2016 when the Paulist Fathers withdrew from St. Philip Neri Parish but kept a presence at St. Elizabeth.
- Rev. Charles "Chuck" Wood
Current pastor; welcomed to the parish as the community moved into a post-pandemic, new-chapter era of parish life.