About St. Helen · Sweet Home, Oregon
St. Helen Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in Sweet Home, Oregon, a mill town in the southern Willamette Valley. It is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and serves Catholics in eastern Linn County, including through its mission church, Holy Trinity, in nearby Brownsville. The parish gathers for daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, faith formation for children, and Knights of Columbus fellowship, with a stated mission of living the Faith through the example of Jesus Christ and developing active ministries that pursue peace and justice through love of neighbor.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- St. Helen (Helena), mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, famed for her pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the traditional discovery of the True Cross
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Scott Baier
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Helen offers a small-town Catholic community with a rich sacramental life: two Sunday Masses (Saturday vigil and Sunday morning) plus a daily Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration with the Rosary, regular Reconciliation, and a Children's Faith Formation program on Sundays. Active fellowship is anchored by the Knights of Columbus (hosting parish breakfasts and honor-guard duties) and parish missions that have brought in preachers such as Fr. Ben Cameron, CPM, and Fr. Tony Stephens of the Fathers of Mercy, as well as special cultural events like the 2024 international Eucharistic Miracles of the World exhibition.
Mass times at St. Helen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Saturdays of the month; no Confessions on the 4th or 5th Saturday)
- Saturday 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Holy Trinity, Brownsville (3rd Saturday only)
- By appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM (30 minutes before daily Mass)
- Wednesday 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM (30 minutes before daily Mass, with the Rosary)
- Thursday 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM (30 minutes before daily Mass, with the Rosary)
- Friday 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM (30 minutes before daily Mass, with the Rosary)
- Friday 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM (with Rosary and Divine Mercy for Peace)
- 1st Friday 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM (follows the First Friday morning Mass)
- 1st Saturday 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM (Reconciliation also available)
About St. Helen Catholic Parish
St. Helen Catholic Church is a parish of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, located at 600 6th Avenue in Sweet Home, a small mill town in the southern Willamette Valley. According to the parish's own mission statement, 'We the parishioners of Saint Helen and Holy Trinity feel we are called by God to live our Faith through the example of Jesus Christ. We seek to create a loving atmosphere in which to praise God. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will continue to develop active ministries to achieve peace and justice through love of neighbor.' The parish reaches Catholics in eastern Linn County both directly and through its mission church, Holy Trinity, in nearby Brownsville.
- Parish mission: live the Faith through the example of Jesus Christ and develop active ministries for peace and justice
- Pastoral care extends to Holy Trinity, Brownsville, a mission parish since 1963
- Part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Parish History
Catholic missionaries first visited the Willamette Valley in the 1830s and 1840s, and traveling priests came to the Sweet Home area from the turn of the 20th century — often celebrating Mass on a flat-bed trailer in farmyards. The parish was formally established in 1949, with the first resident Mass said on September 25, 1949 by Rev. Carl Wachter, pastor of St. Edward's in Lebanon, in Milburn Hall on the second floor of a downtown building, before some 168 founding parishioners. For four years Mass continued in that hall while the community saved and built. The current church was begun in 1952 and dedicated in 1953 by Archbishop Edward Howard; in 1963 Holy Trinity in Brownsville became a mission. The parish has continued the founding tradition of volunteer-led construction and renovation, including a major 1990s remodel that added ADA accessibility and a parish hall, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1999 with a Mass offered by Archbishop John Vlazny.
- July 1949: two-acre plot purchased on Sixth Avenue, Sweet Home
- September 25, 1949: first resident Mass in Milburn Hall, by Rev. Carl Wachter (168 parishioners present)
- September 2, 1952: groundbreaking; September 8, 1952: construction begins
- 1953: church dedicated by Archbishop Edward Howard; cost under $50,000 including a $5,000 Catholic Extension Society grant
- 1963: Holy Trinity, Brownsville becomes a mission of St. Helen's
- Early 1990s: parish volunteers remodel the church, add ADA accessibility, and build a parish hall
- September 13, 1999: 50th anniversary Mass celebrated by Archbishop John Vlazny; 18 young people confirmed
Founding Families and Building the Church
The first generation of St. Helen's Catholics literally built their church with donated lumber, volunteer labor, and a small grant from the Catholic Extension Society. The founding members included the Reller families, Dr. James and Errilla McCarthy, Nick and Mildred Melcher, Nick and Ann Mausen, Frank and Gertrude Poitras, Joseph and Amelia Thums, Doug and Clara Windom, and Del and Mary Ripley. Founding parishioners recalled painting basement walls while the concrete was still wet, holding card parties to pay the bills, and a memorable incident in which a baby buggy rolled unnoticed down the steep Milburn Hall stairway, with the child escaping with only a small scratch on one ear. Construction of the new church was supervised by Hiram Ostermann of Lebanon.
- Key founding families: Reller, McCarthy, Melcher, Mausen, Poitras, Thums, Windom, Ripley
- Founding building committee included Mr. and Mrs. George Reller, Mr. and Mrs. Blain Cobat, Jess Jones, Bernard Carlson, and Dr. J.J. McCarthy
- Construction supervised by Hiram Ostermann of Lebanon, with donated lumber and volunteer labor
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently served by a resident pastor and a permanent deacon, supported by parish office staff. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and is staffed at 600 6th Avenue, Sweet Home, OR 97386. Phone: (541) 367-2530.
- Rev. Fr. Scott Baier — Pastor
- Deacon Robert Malone — Permanent Deacon
- Parish Office Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8:30 AM–12:30 PM
- Phone: (541) 367-2530
Devotions at Holy Trinity, Brownsville
The mission church of Holy Trinity in Brownsville offers its own devotions in addition to the mission's Sunday and Wednesday Masses.
- Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help on Wednesdays at 12:30 PM
Faith Formation (CCD / Religious Education)
St. Helen's parish-school of religious formation meets on Sundays during the academic year, between the Saturday vigil Mass and the Holy Trinity Sunday Mass, so that families can attend the 5:30 PM Saturday vigil and the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass and still bring their children to formation class.
- Faith Formation: Sundays 10:30–11:30 AM
- Children's religious education (CCD) in the parish hall/classrooms
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus are a visible presence at St. Helen's, serving as an honor guard at major liturgical events and hosting parish fellowship events such as the Mother's Day Breakfast in the parish hall after the 9:00 AM Mass (e.g., Sunday, May 12, 2024, $8 per person / $25 per family). The parish is also identified with a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus honor guard, present at the 1953 dedication Mass.
- Parish breakfasts and fellowship events
- Fourth Degree honor guard at major liturgies (including 1953 dedication and 1999 anniversary Mass)
Parish Missions and Special Events
St. Helen maintains a tradition of multi-day parish missions preached by visiting priests, with full audio/video of recent talks archived on the parish website. Recent missions have been preached by the Fathers of Mercy (C.P.M.), including Fr. Ben Cameron, C.P.M. (May 2022: 'Prodigal Daughters, Prodigal Sons') and Fr. Anthony (Tony) Stephens, C.P.M. (2024: 'The Love of the Father' / 'The Younger Son — Accepting Responsibility'). In January 2024, the parish also hosted the international 'Eucharistic Miracles of the World' exhibition, drawing visitors from across the region.
- Fr. Ben Cameron, CPM — May 2022 parish mission 'Prodigal Daughters, Prodigal Sons'
- Fr. Anthony Stephens, CPM — April 2024 mission on the Parable of the Prodigal Son
- October 2023 mission theme: 'The Holy Eucharist: Shadows and Fulfillment'
- January 27–28, 2024 — Eucharistic Miracles of the World international exhibition
Holy Trinity Mission, Brownsville
Holy Trinity in Brownsville has been a mission parish of St. Helen's since 1963, extending the parish's pastoral care to Catholics in Brownsville and the surrounding rural communities. The mission celebrates the 11:30 AM Sunday Mass, the Wednesday noon weekday Mass, hosts a Wednesday 11:00 AM Eucharistic holy hour, and gathers for the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help each Wednesday at 12:30 PM.
- Missions of St. Helen since 1963
- Sunday Mass: 11:30 AM
- Wednesday weekday Mass: 12:00 PM
- Wednesday Adoration: 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Wednesday Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help: 12:30 PM
Visiting and Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office at 600 6th Avenue, Sweet Home, OR 97386, by phone at (541) 367-2530, or by email at [email protected]. The office is staffed Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and confessions or anointings can be arranged by appointment outside these hours. The 1990s remodel made the church ADA accessible, and parking is available on the parish grounds.
- Address: 600 6th Avenue, Sweet Home, OR 97386
- Phone: (541) 367-2530
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8:30 AM–12:30 PM
- ADA-accessible; on-site parking
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Carl Wachter1949 (first resident Mass, from St. Edward's, Lebanon)
Celebrated the first resident Mass for the new parish on September 25, 1949 in Milburn Hall while remaining pastor of St. Edward's in Lebanon.
- Rev. Pius Baur1950s (until resident priest appointed)
Of St. Edward's Catholic Church, Lebanon; served St. Helen's in addition to Lebanon until a resident priest could be assigned.