About St. John the Apostle · Oregon City, Oregon
St. John the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Oregon City, Oregon, and one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the Pacific Northwest, founded in 1844 by Father Modeste Demers. Originally known as the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, it served as the cathedral and mother parish of the original Diocese (later Archdiocese) of Oregon City established in 1846. Today the parish describes itself as 'A Family of Disciples United in Christ,' celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish, and operating an attached Catholic school (PK-8). It belongs to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
- Established
- 1844
- Patron
- St. John the Apostle (and Evangelist)
- Rector
- Fr. Maxy D'Costa
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. John the Apostle welcomes families with a bilingual parish life — Mass in English and Spanish each Sunday — a PK-8 Catholic school on the hilltop campus, and a wide network of lay ministries. The parish makes it easy to get involved through choirs (English, Spanish, and children's), lector and hospitality teams, the Knights of Columbus Council #2325, Catholic Daughters Court St. Anne #1089, a Family of Faith program for children, Little Lambs free childcare during the 10:30 Mass, faith formation for all ages, and outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, Welcome Cafe for the homeless, and the Stork Club and Funeral Reception ministries. With daily Mass, weekly Confession, and a strong Adoration schedule, SJA offers a grounded, traditional rhythm of Catholic devotional life rooted in 180 years of Oregon Catholic history.
Mass times at St. John the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00–4:30 pm
- Sunday: 11:30 am–12:15 pm (English)
- Sunday: 1:15–2:00 pm (Spanish)
- Or by appointment: 503-742-8200
Adoration times
- Friday: 8:30 am–4:00 pm
- Second Monday of the month: 8:45 am–8:00 pm
Parish History
St. John the Apostle was founded in 1844 as Oregon's second Catholic parish and served as the original cathedral of the Diocese of Oregon City from 1846. Its origins are intertwined with Dr. John McLoughlin, the Hudson's Bay Company chief factor who donated the land at 10th and Water Streets. Father Modeste Demers celebrated the first Mass on March 3, 1844, and the first cathedral — a 60-by-30 foot wooden cross-shaped building — was raised in 1845 and blessed in 1846. In 1850 the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese, but the cathedral function moved to Portland in 1862. The parish then carried forward as a parish church under the new name St. John the Apostle, with the Sisters of St. Benedict running its school from 1885 to 1982. After the 1947 demolition of the downtown buildings, the parish relocated to its present hilltop campus at 4th and Center / Washington Streets, where the current church with its 71-foot tower and gold cross was dedicated in 1957.
- Founded March 1, 1844 — first Mass March 3, 1844
- Mother parish and original cathedral of the (Arch)Diocese of Oregon City
- Land donated by Dr. John McLoughlin, 'Father of Oregon'
- Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur taught here 1844–1853; Sisters of St. Benedict 1885–1982
- Present church dedicated 1957; 71-foot tower with 14-foot gold cross
Parish Staff
The parish is led by its pastor, Fr. Maxy D'Costa, and supported by a lay staff team that handles faith formation, Hispanic ministry, school leadership, business, facilities, and the Little Lambs childcare program. The parish uses Flocknote to send news and announcements to parishioners and asks those interested in registering to fill out a Parish Registration Inquiry Form, after which Fr. Maxy follows up personally.
- Pastor: Fr. Maxy D'Costa — 503-742-8207
- Business Manager: Flora Dole — 503-742-8203
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Melissa Bear — 503-742-8228
- SJA School Principal: Mary Haluska — 503-742-8230
- Hispanic Ministry Assistant: Ma. Luisa Navarro — 503-742-8221
- Facilities Manager: Juvenal Jaimes
- Little Lambs Childcare Coordinator: Vanessa Velasquez
St. John the Apostle Catholic School (PK-8)
The parish school (SJA Eagles), located at 516 5th Street, Oregon City, shares the parish hilltop campus and is open to parish and non-parish families. According to the school's own history page, the original school dates to 1844 when six Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur came from Europe with Father DeSmet and opened the first Catholic school in Oregon City as the Young Ladies' Academy. After the gold rush closed the school, it reopened in 1883 under Father James Rauw, with the Sisters of St. Benedict arriving in 1885; they taught continuously at SJA until 1982, when the laity took over operations. Today the school enrolls roughly 180–220 students in PK through 8th grade with a student-teacher ratio of about 13:1, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Portland and a member of NCEA.
- Grades: PK-8 (Eagles mascot)
- Enrollment ~181–222 students; ~13:1 student-teacher ratio
- 516 5th Street, Oregon City, OR 97045 — 503-742-8230
- Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; NCEA member
- School motto: 'Be Christ Like, Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful'
Liturgy & Music Ministries
St. John the Apostle offers multiple ways for laypeople to participate in the liturgy. The English Church Choir leads music at the 10:30 am Sunday Mass, and the Spanish Church Choir leads music at the 1:30 pm Spanish Mass. The Children's Choir sings on the first Sunday of each month at the 10:30 am Mass. English and Spanish Lector teams read Sacred Scripture at Mass, and a Hospitality Ministry team greets parishioners and visitors at the door.
- English Church Choir (Laura LaFrance)
- Spanish Church Choir (Ma. Luisa Navarro)
- Children's Choir, 1st Sunday at 10:30 am (Tecie Astorga)
- English Lectors (Jan Flaherty)
- Spanish Lectors (Ma. Luisa Navarro)
- Hospitality Ministry (Jerry Renfro)
Faith Formation & Family Life
The parish runs Family of Faith, an open-to-all-families program where children make friends and learn the Catholic faith. Little Lambs provides free childcare for children ages 3 months to 3 years during the 10:30 am Sunday Mass in the Preschool Room of the parish center — no registration required; teen and adult volunteers are always welcome (background check and training provided). The parish also publishes a Parish Registration Inquiry Form and a Sacrament Interest Form for families seeking Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, or marriage preparation.
- Family of Faith — children's catechesis (Melissa Bear, coordinator)
- Little Lambs free childcare during 10:30 am Mass (Vanessa Velasquez)
- Parish Registration Inquiry Form / Sacrament Interest Form on the website
- Currently hiring: Youth Evangelization and Sacraments Coordinator (part-time)
Outreach & Food Ministries
St. Vincent de Paul runs a food pantry serving those in need every Thursday afternoon from 3:15 to 5:15 pm, distributing donated food. The Welcome Cafe serves a hot meal and supplies to the homeless every third Sunday in the Parish Center. After the 8:30 am and 10:30 am Sunday Masses parishioners gather in the Parish Center for the Coffee Social, and the Funeral Reception ministry provides comfort meals for grieving families. Stork Club brings meals to families with new babies, and 'Feed Our Pastor' provides nourishing meals for Fr. Maxy through a Meal Train sign-up.
- St. Vincent de Paul food pantry: Thursdays 3:15–5:15 pm (Joanne Linker)
- Welcome Cafe: 3rd Sunday, Parish Center (Mary Hardaker)
- Coffee Social after Sunday Masses (Lisandra Mathews)
- Funeral Reception (Michelle Schafer)
- Stork Club — meals for new-baby families (Gina Capri/Compaore)
- Feed Our Pastor — Meal Train sign-up (Tom Call)
Men, Women & Parish Councils
Two long-standing Catholic fraternal and service organizations call the parish home. The Knights of Columbus Council #2325 — founded on the principles of charity, unity and fraternity — supports the sick, disabled, and needy. The Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court St. Anne #1089, embrace the faith 'working through love in the promotion of justice, equality and the advancement of human dignity for all.' A Pastoral Council, Admin Council, and Facilities Committee provide parish governance and oversight.
- Knights of Columbus Council #2325 (Jeff Krauss)
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court St. Anne #1089 (Claudine Brotzman)
- Pastoral Council
- Admin Council
- Facilities Committee (Juvenal Jaimes)
Visit, Contact & Getting Involved
Newcomers can register their interest on the parish website using the Parish Registration Inquiry Form; Fr. Maxy personally follows up to begin the registration process. The church is located at 410 Center St., with parish offices at 417 Washington St., Oregon City, OR 97045. The main office number is 503-742-8200 and the general email is [email protected]. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 am–5:00 pm. The parish stays in touch via Flocknote (saintjohntheapostle.flocknote) and an active Facebook page.
- Parish Office: 417 Washington St., Oregon City, OR 97045
- Church: 410 Center St., Oregon City, OR
- Phone: 503-742-8200 — Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tue–Fri 8:30 am–5:00 pm
- Stay connected: Flocknote (saintjohntheapostle.flocknote) and Facebook (facebook.com/sjacatholic)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Modeste Demers1844-
First pastor of St. John's; installed March 1, 1844 and celebrated the first Mass on March 3, 1844. Missionary who had accompanied Father Blanchet from Quebec.
- Father James Rauw1883-
Arrived in 1883 and made efforts to reopen the parish school; the Sisters of St. Benedict arrived two years later.
- Father Hillebrand1888-
Enlarged, improved, and repaired the church and school then located downtown on Main Street. His program continued until his death fifty-three years later. Founded McLoughlin Institute in 1907.
- Father John Sheridan
Made extensive improvements to the parish school, inaugurated a financing program to purchase the hilltop property, but died in 1956 before completing his goals.
- Father Michael Raleigh
Continued Father Sheridan's plans, moving parish facilities to the hilltop site. The 1947 razing of the old school occurred under his leadership and he began building on the hilltop.