About St. John the Evangelist · Vancouver, Washington
St. John the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic parish in northeast Vancouver, Washington, established in 1868 and recognized as one of the oldest Catholic communities in the Pacific Northwest. The parish serves roughly 1,600 households with Masses in both English and Spanish, a parochial school heritage dating to 1871, and a vibrant ministries program led by a pastor, parochial vicars, deacons and a large lay staff. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Seattle's Southern Deanery and, since 2024, is part of the Five Mountains Catholic Community created through Partners in the Gospel.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. José Álvarez (current pastor of the Five Mountains Catholic Community). Fr. Temo Ramirez / Rev. José Maria C. Ramirez Briseno is listed as pastor on the Archdiocese directory, and Rev. Vu P. Tran is a parochial vicar.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist welcomes visitors, returning Catholics and those simply curious about the faith with open arms and no pressure. It is a diverse, bilingual community that offers daily and Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a robust faith-formation program for children and youth, and dozens of lay ministries — from music, choir, altar serving, and the welcoming committee to prayer shawls, quilting for charity, cemetery care, and parking-lot security. The parish is also deeply family-oriented, with a youth ministry that includes Bible study and youth group, and it serves as the historic center of Catholic Hispanic ministry in southwest Washington.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Saturday 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- First Friday of the Month 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Last Friday of the Month 10:00 pm – 6:00 am (overnight)
Parish History
St. John the Evangelist was founded in 1868 when Bishop A.M.A. Blanchet, the first bishop of the Diocese of Nesqually, dedicated the parish's first church. Settler families donated five acres for the parish site, and within a few years a small schoolhouse opened just east of the present-day cemetery. The parish remained a mission — first of St. Thomas in Camas, then of Sacred Heart in Battle Ground — for more than a century until becoming an independent parish in 1974 under Father Sean Fox. Four successive church buildings have served the community (1868, 1909, 1950, 2005), and the parish marked its 150th anniversary with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain in November 2018.
- 1868 — First church dedicated; Fathers J. Duffy and Halde first serve
- 1871 — First school opens east of the cemetery
- 1908-1909 — Second church built, dedicated Sept. 26, 1909 by Bishop O'Dea
- 1949-1950 — Third church built under Father Joseph Vogel; dedicated Dec. 3, 1950
- 1974 — Becomes an independent parish under Father Sean Fox
- 1981 — Monthly Spanish Masses begin
- 2005 — Current (fourth) church dedicated by Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo
- 2018 — 150th anniversary Mass with Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor of the Five Mountains Catholic Community, a parochial vicar, two deacons and a large lay staff supporting faith formation, youth ministry, administration, stewardship, Hispanic ministries and facilities.
- Pastor: Rev. José Álvarez (Five Mountains Catholic Community)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Vu P. Tran
- Deacon Adolfo Carbajal — Pastoral Assistant for Adult Faith Formation and Liturgy
- Deacon Steve Reeves — Deacon / Facilities Supervisor
- Lori Jimerson — Pastoral Assistant for Administration
- Lorena Heredia — Pastoral Assistant for Hispanic Ministries
- Lori Mandt — Stewardship Coordinator
- Karla Rodriguez — Pastoral Assistant for Children's Faith Formation
- Melissa Alonso — Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation
- Andrew Hollands — Youth Ministry Coordinator
- Yarely Duran Ortiz — Administrative Assistant
- Casandra Heredia — Parish Receptionist
- Jacinto Jimenez — Bookkeeper
- Ramón Guijarro — Parish Maintenance
- Nora Beltran Barbosa — Parish Custodian
Faith Formation
Faith Formation for children grades K-5 runs September through mid-May, with a particular need for bilingual assistants for the English classes. Adult faith formation is coordinated by Deacon Adolfo Carbajal, and the parish welcomes returning Catholics and inquirers exploring the Catholic faith through its inquiry and RCIA process.
- Children's Faith Formation (K-5th grade)
- Adult Faith Formation and RCIA inquiry
- Bilingual catechists needed
Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry at St. John the Evangelist serves middle school and high school students with weekly youth group on Wednesday evenings, Youth Bible study and chaperoned events. Adult and parent volunteers are welcomed.
- Middle school and high school youth groups (Wednesday evenings)
- Youth Bible study
- Volunteer opportunities for adults and parents
Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical ministries include altar servers, Ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, music ministry (choirs and ensembles, with youth encouraged to join), and the laptop/soundboard team that supports livestreamed Sunday Mass.
- Altar Servers
- Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ushers
- Music Ministry (choirs/ensembles)
- Laptop and Soundboard Operators
- Liturgical Ministry Schedules published quarterly (April-June etc.)
Parish Life and Outreach
Life at St. John the Evangelist extends well beyond Sunday Mass. Parishioners can join the Welcome Committee, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Quilting Ministry, Church Cleaning teams, Garden/Yard Care, Funeral Receptions, Bulk Mail Ministry, Parking Lot Security, and the Cemetery Committee.
- Welcome Committee / Welcome Desk
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Quilting Ministry
- Church Cleaning (rotating teams)
- Garden/Yard Care
- Funeral Receptions support
- Bulk Mail Ministry
- Parking Lot Security / Cemetery Parking
Hispanic Ministries
Since monthly Spanish Masses began in 1981, St. John the Evangelist has served as the hub of Catholic Hispanic ministry in southwest Washington. Today it offers two Sunday Spanish Masses, a Monday evening Spanish Mass and a Tuesday morning Spanish Mass, supported by a Pastoral Assistant for Hispanic Ministries.
- Hispanic Ministries Pastoral Assistant
- Three weekly Spanish Masses (Sun 11:00 am & 5:00 pm; Mon 7:00 pm; Tue 9:00 am)
- Bilingual faith-formation catechists
St. John Cemetery
The parish operates St. John Cemetery in Vancouver, where the 1871 schoolhouse once stood east of today's grounds. A volunteer Cemetery Committee helps mark plots, open and close the columbarium (training provided), and direct parking during interments, especially on weekdays.
- Volunteer Cemetery Committee
- Columbarium opening/closing (training provided)
- Weekday parking help during interments
Five Mountains Catholic Community
In 2024, under Partners in the Gospel — the Archdiocese of Seattle's strategic pastoral planning process — St. John the Evangelist was grouped with St. Joseph the Worker (Yacolt, 98675) and St. Philip (Woodland, 98674) into the Five Mountains Catholic Community under a single pastor, Rev. José Álvarez. The community shares pastoral leadership while each parish retains its own local life and Mass schedule.
- Parish Family 44 of the Archdiocese of Seattle
- Southern Deanery, Clark County
- Partner parishes: St. Joseph the Worker (Yacolt) and St. Philip (Woodland)
- Lead pastor: Rev. José Álvarez
Getting Involved
St. John the Evangelist invites newcomers, returning Catholics and inquirers to register as parishioners or simply reach out for a conversation. There is no pressure, only open arms — and a wide range of ministries where newcomers can put their gifts of time and talent to work.
- Register as a new parishioner
- I'm a returning Catholic — resources available
- I'm interested in learning more about the Catholic Church
- I want to become Catholic — RCIA inquiry
- Contact the parish office at (360) 573-3325
Visit and Contact
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, at 8701 NE 119th Street, Vancouver, WA 98662. Mass is livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person.
- Address: 8701 NE 119th St., Vancouver, WA 98662
- Phone: (360) 573-3325
- Fax: 360-573-3344
- Office hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- YouTube livestream of Sunday Mass (English 9:00 am, Spanish 11:00 am)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father J. Duffy and Father Halde1868
First recorded priests to serve the founding mission church.
- Father Joseph Vogel1949–1950
Led the building of the third church, dedicated December 3, 1950.
- Father Sean Fox1974
First resident pastor when St. John the Evangelist became an independent parish.
- Father Tom Belleque2018
Serving a parish of 1,500 families at the 150th anniversary.