About St. John the Baptist Catholic Church · Milwaukie, Oregon
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in Milwaukie, Oregon, belonging to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The parish traces its roots to a mission established in 1850 and a wooden church built in 1864, becoming a formal parish in 1911 and worshipping in its striking modernist stone-and-steel church since 1966. Today it serves a thriving Hispanic community alongside longtime parish families, running OCIA, faith formation for children and adults, a Knights of Columbus council, and Catholic Youth Organization, while the parish school educated students ELC through 8th grade for 107 years before its announced closure in 2026.
- Established
- 1911 (parish; mission since 1864)
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. John (Fr. John) Marshall
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers a bilingual, multigenerational Catholic community in Milwaukie with strong sacramental life — daily Mass in English, weekly Spanish Masses, perpetual adoration, and Saturday confessions — supported by adult and youth faith formation, OCIA, a Knights of Columbus council, Catholic Youth Organization, a women's group, and ministry to Spanish-speaking parishioners through the San Juan Diego Group and bilingual catechesis. The parish welcomes two religious communities into its life, offers signature devotions like the Annual Peace Mass, First Friday Healing Mass, and Blessing of Animals, and is rooted in 175 years of continuous Catholic worship on this site.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
- First Saturdays 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Adoration times
- Sunday 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM (in the church)
- First Friday 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM (in the church)
- First Saturday 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (in the church)
- Chapel adoration available 24 hours — contact parish office for code
History of St. John the Baptist Parish
St. John the Baptist traces its roots to October 1850, when Archbishop François Norbert Blanchet authorized a Catholic Mission in Milwaukie under Fr. Croke of Portland's Cathedral Church. A small framed wooden mission church was built in 1864 at the corner of 21st and Washington Street and dedicated to St. John the Baptist by Archbishop Blanchet on July 23, 1864. After 47 years as a mission, the community was raised to parish status in February 1911 by Archbishop Alexander Christie, with a $500 Catholic Extension Society grant and land purchased on 25th Street for $3,500. Christmas Eve 1912 saw the parish's first Midnight Mass. The parish school opened September 8, 1919 under the Sisters of St. Mary's in Oregon; a high school followed in 1928, becoming the first co-educational Catholic high school in the Archdiocese when accredited in 1932. The present church was built 1964–1966 and dedicated by Archbishop Edward D. Howard on June 29, 1966.
- 1850 — Mission in Milwaukie authorized by Archbishop Blanchet
- 1864 — Wooden mission church built at 21st and Washington St.
- 1911 — Established as a parish by Archbishop Alexander Christie
- 1912 — Christmas Eve Midnight Mass celebrated for the first time
- 1918–1919 — Parochial school opens (62 students, two Sisters of St. Mary's)
- 1926 — School bus serves children as far as Boring and Estacada (up to 80 miles/day)
- 1928 — High school opens; first co-ed Catholic high school in the Archdiocese (accredited 1932)
- 1948 — High school closes
- 1964–1966 — Current church and rectory built
- 1966 — Church dedicated June 29 by Archbishop Edward D. Howard
- 2019 — Fr. John Marshall installed as pastor
Architecture of the 1966 Church
The present church, completed in 1966, was designed by the Portland firm Stearns, Mention and Morris (chief designer Robert C. Mention) with general contractor Juhr & Sons, Oregon, Ltd. It was the first church in the Archdiocese of Portland built to the requirements of the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council and seats 960. Natural Yucatan stone — brought up from Nevada — forms the massive rough exterior walls symbolizing man, while a white soaring ceiling symbolizes God. The altar, tabernacle pedestal, and lectern are made of plain alabaster blocks, and the sanctuary screen is built from Hawaiian Koa wood. The structure rises to 150 feet in total height and is topped by a 70-foot steel tower reaching toward the heavens.
- Architects: Stearns, Mention and Morris
- General Contractor: Juhr & Sons, Oregon, Ltd.
- Capacity: 960
- Materials: Yucatan stone walls, alabaster altar, Hawaiian Koa wood sanctuary screen
- Total height: 150 feet; steel tower: 70 feet
- Documented by Docomomo Oregon as a notable modern religious building
Faith Formation & Sacraments
St. John the Baptist runs formation programs for both adults and children. OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) welcomes inquirers, catechumens, and already-baptized Christians and serves adults as well as children and youth ages 7–17; the parish's Evangelization Coordinator is Mela Flores Noe. First Sacraments preparation (First Reconciliation and First Communion) is offered for children 7 years and older from practicing Catholic families.
- OCIA (How to Become Catholic) — adults and youth ages 7–17; contact Mela Flores Noe, Coordinator of Evangelization, ext. 202
- First Sacraments — First Reconciliation and First Communion (ages 7+)
- Anointing of the Sick at the First Friday Healing Mass
- Bible Study
- Bilingual Catechesis for adults and children
Parish Ministries, Groups & Community Life
Parish life at St. John the Baptist is marked by a strong bilingual, multigenerational culture and a deep bench of lay groups. Since 2020 the parish has worked with the Amazing Parish movement, and parish leaders have attended Amazing Parish summits for several years.
- Knights of Columbus
- Catholic Youth Organization (CYO)
- Men's Group — 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 6:30 PM
- Young Ladies Institute (women's group)
- San Juan Diego Group — Adult Faith Formation and Leadership for Spanish-speaking men and women
- Bilingual Catechesis for Adults and Children
- Bible Study
- Amazing Parish movement (since 2020)
Religious Communities on Site
The parish campus is home to two religious communities whose presence shapes its spiritual life.
- Missionaries of the Holy Spirit — Provincial Headquarters in the historic 1912 rectory/convent; provides sacramental and spiritual support to the parish
- Sisters of Mary of Kakakeega (SMK) — religious sisters from Kenya serving in the parish school; Sr. Stella Maris Namae, SMK served as school principal
Special Devotions & Annual Events
Beyond the weekly Mass and adoration schedule, the parish hosts several signature devotions throughout the year that draw the wider community together.
- Annual Peace Mass — June 27 at 3:00 PM (English)
- First Friday Healing Mass — 8:30 AM English and 7:00 PM Spanish, with Anointing of the Sick
- Nocturnal Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — First Friday 8:00 PM to Saturday morning
- Blessing of Animals — October 4 at 2:30 PM
- Medjugorje Evening — Rosary, Mass, and Adoration with visiting Fr. Zvonimir Pavičić from Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina
- First Saturday Mass and Devotions
St. John the Baptist Catholic School
St. John the Baptist Catholic School was founded in 1919 to serve the children of the parish and ran continuously for 107 years, at one point enrolling 750 students ELC through high school. The school has been fully accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and forms students in spiritual, academic, social, emotional, and physical dimensions, with weekly Holy Mass, daily prayer, and regular access to the Sacraments as central to its Catholic identity. According to announcements from the parish and Archdiocese of Portland, the school will conclude its ministry at the end of the 2025–2026 school year, though the parish has indicated a possible future preschool program could be considered.
- Founded 1919 under the Sisters of St. Mary's in Oregon
- Accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA)
- Served ELC through 8th grade (and historically through high school, 1928–1948)
- First co-educational Catholic high school in the Archdiocese (accredited 1932)
- Sisters of Mary of Kakamega served in the school; Sr. Stella Maris Namae, SMK as principal
Visit, Contact & Directions
St. John the Baptist is located at 10955 SE 25th Avenue, Milwaukie, Oregon 97222, on the east side of the Portland metropolitan area. The parish office can be reached at (503) 654-5449 or [email protected]. The parish website is sjbcatholicchurch.org. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
- Address: 10955 SE 25th Avenue, Milwaukie, OR 97222
- Phone: (503) 654-5449
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sjbcatholicchurch.org
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Marshall2019–present
Current pastor; led the parish's adoption of the Amazing Parish movement from 2020 onward.
- Rev. John Bernardscirca 1918
Secured the Sisters of St. Mary's in Oregon to open the parochial school in spring 1918.