About St. Francis de Sales · Hammond, Oregon
St. Francis de Sales is a Catholic mission church in Hammond, Oregon, situated in the northwest corner of the state where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. It is operated as a mission of St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in neighboring Astoria, under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The mission chapel was opened in 1960 to serve Catholics in the Hammond/Fort Stevens area on the Oregon Coast, and continues to host weekend Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation each Saturday.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- St. Francis de Sales (Bishop and Doctor of the Church, patron saint of writers, journalists, and the deaf)
- Rector
- Fr. William D. Oruko, AJ
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Francis de Sales Mission offers the small-town Oregon Coast Catholic community of Hammond a welcoming place to worship close to home, with a Saturday Vigil Mass and regular opportunities for Reconciliation. As a mission of historic St. Mary, Star of the Sea in Astoria, parishioners enjoy the closeness of a small chapel while still being connected to a larger parish family with Spanish-language Masses, faith formation, and broader ministries. The mission is wheelchair accessible and shares in the spiritual life, devotions, and sacramental life of one of the oldest Catholic parishes on the Oregon Coast.
Mass times at St. Francis de Sales
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday at 3:30 PM
- or by appointment
About St. Francis de Sales Mission
St. Francis de Sales is a Catholic mission church serving the small community of Hammond, Oregon, on the north Oregon Coast where the Columbia River meets the Pacific. It functions as a satellite mission of St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in nearby Astoria, both of which together form a single parish family under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The mission's parish office, phone line, and sacramental records are all administered through the Astoria parish office.
- Type: Mission Church (not a standalone parish)
- Operated by St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish, Astoria
- Located at 867 5th Ave., Hammond, OR 97121
- Wheelchair accessible
History of the Mission
The mission was founded in 1960, when St. Mary, Star of the Sea — already a fixture of Astoria life since 1874 — extended its ministry westward to the Hammond area near Fort Stevens. A Daily Astorian retrospective on the parish noted that 'as more people became interested in the parish over the decades, St. Mary's reached out to the west, opening a mission chapel in Hammond in 1960 known as the St. Francis de Sales Mission.' Services continue to be held at the mission every Saturday.
- Mission chapel opened in 1960
- Mother parish founded in 1874 in Astoria
- St. Mary, Star of the Sea celebrated its 150th anniversary in October 2024
Patron Saint — St. Francis de Sales
The mission takes its name from St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622), Bishop of Geneva and a Doctor of the Church, renowned for his gentle approach to evangelization and his classic spiritual work 'Introduction to the Devout Life.' He is the patron saint of writers, journalists, the deaf, and the Catholic press. His feast day is celebrated on January 24.
- Feast day: January 24
- Bishop of Geneva; Doctor of the Church
- Patron of writers, journalists, and the deaf
Mass & Service Schedule
Mass at St. Francis de Sales Mission is celebrated on a weekend Vigil and one weekday. Confessions are heard before the Vigil Mass and by appointment. The full sacramental life of the parish — including additional Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and the sacraments — is available at the mother church, St. Mary, Star of the Sea, in Astoria just a few miles east.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Thursday Mass: 3:00 PM
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 PM, or by appointment
Mass & Services at St. Mary, Star of the Sea (Mother Parish)
Because St. Francis de Sales is a mission, parishioners are also served by the schedule at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Church, 1465 Grand Ave., Astoria. Weekday Masses there are offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00 AM, and Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM, with a Spanish Mass at 12:00 noon (per parish records). Eucharistic Adoration at St. Mary's is held Wednesdays from 5:00 to 5:30 PM, with extended First Friday Adoration from 8:00 PM Friday until 8:00 AM Saturday morning.
- Sunday Masses: 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, and a Spanish Mass at 12:00 noon
- Weekday Masses: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00 AM
- Eucharistic Adoration: Wednesdays 5:00–5:30 PM
- First Fridays Adoration: 8:00 PM Friday through 8:00 AM Saturday
Clergy & Staff
St. Francis de Sales Mission is served by the pastor of St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish. The current pastor, named on the parish website, is Fr. William D. Oruko, AJ. Parish office inquiries, including sacramental scheduling, are handled through the Astoria parish office.
- Pastor: Fr. William D. Oruko, AJ
Visiting the Mission
The mission chapel is located at 867 5th Avenue in Hammond, just minutes from Fort Stevens State Park and the historic mouth of the Columbia River. The church is wheelchair accessible and welcomes visitors year-round. Mass-goers are encouraged to check the parish website for any schedule changes, especially during the winter season and holiday periods.
- Address: 867 5th Ave., Hammond, OR 97121
- Parish phone: (503) 325-3671
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmaryastoria.com/
The Wider Parish Family
St. Francis de Sales is one half of a combined faith community with St. Mary, Star of the Sea — a parish whose roots go back to soldiers stationed at Fort Stevens in 1874 and which grew to include a school (originally the Holy Names Academy, built in 1896) that became the oldest and last Catholic school on the Oregon Coast before closing in 2011. Today the combined parish offers a Spanish Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, devotions, RCIA and faith formation, and an active parish life rooted in the coast's fishing, maritime, and military heritage.
- St. Mary Star of the Sea School founded 1896 as Holy Names Academy; closed 2011
- Parish ministries and devotions shared between Astoria and Hammond
- Includes a Spanish-language Mass ministry