About St. John the Evangelist · Yamhill, Oregon
St. John the Evangelist Parish is a small, family-friendly Catholic community serving the small town of Yamhill, Oregon, in the heart of Yamhill County wine country. The parish is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and is pastored by Fr. Julio Torres, supported by a small staff and a network of lay volunteers. Its mission statement — "Let us go with the spirituality and zeal of St. John the Evangelist, to know Jesus" — reflects a parish that pairs traditional devotion (weekly Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary, Confession) with hands-on outreach to neighbors in need.
- Established
- 1911 (dedicated March 12, 1911; constituted as a parish in 1972)
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Fr. Julio Torres
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist is a parish where nearly everyone knows everyone — a small-town Catholic community in Yamhill that has gathered for the Eucharist since 1911. Visitors can expect a traditional weekly rhythm: Vigil Mass on Saturday evening and Sunday morning Mass, daily Mass Monday through Thursday, Saturday confession, and weekly Eucharistic Adoration, all celebrated in English. What really sets St. John's apart is the depth of its lay ministries — a Health Ministry (organized by a retired RN), an Outreach Ministry that visits the homebound and absent, a transportation network offering rides to Mass and medical appointments, a Share and Care food ministry, a Tuesday-morning Bible study with the pastor, religious education for children, and the parish's ongoing support of its youth attending the Steubenville conference.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
About St. John the Evangelist Parish
St. John the Evangelist is a small Catholic parish serving the town of Yamhill in Yamhill County, Oregon, in the heart of Oregon wine country. It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and is pastored by Fr. Julio Torres. The parish's stated mission is: "Let us go with the spirituality and zeal of St. John the Evangelist, to know Jesus." Despite its small size, St. John's maintains a full weekly liturgical schedule — including Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday Mass, daily Mass Monday through Thursday, Saturday confessions, and weekly Eucharistic Adoration — alongside an unusually rich network of lay ministries reaching the sick, the homebound, and those in material need.
- Archdiocese: Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
- Pastor: Fr. Julio Torres
- Patron: St. John the Evangelist
- Address: 445 N. Maple St., Yamhill, OR 97148
- Phone: (503) 662-4291
History of the Parish
St. John the Evangelist traces its roots to 1909–1910, when St. Anthony's Chapel Car — a converted Catholic Extension Society Pullman railroad car fitted with an altar — began visiting Yamhill and gave local families their first regular access to Mass. A mission preached aboard the Chapel Car by Fr. McDevitt in 1910 inspired the eight Catholic families of Yamhill to build a church of their own. The resulting building was dedicated on March 12, 1911, as a mission of St. James in McMinnville, with worshippers arriving on foot, bicycle, horseback, buggy, and wagon.
Early decades as a mission (1911–1930)
For its first eighteen years St. John's was served only twice a month by a priest (or his assistant) traveling from McMinnville. The arrival of the "Red Electric" interurban train between McMinnville and Portland in 1914 made travel easier, and the parish's Italian Catholic community was a particularly active part of the congregation. Electricity reached the church building in the 1920s.
- Served as a mission of St. James, McMinnville (1911–1930)
- Red Electric interurban train begins serving the area (1914)
- Electricity installed in the church (1920s)
Growth and weekly Mass (1930–1970)
In 1930 the parish was reassigned as a mission of Newberg, and at last Mass was celebrated in Yamhill every week. In 1947 a Bus Committee formed to transport about thirty Yamhill children to St. James in McMinnville for Catholic schooling, with alternative arrangements made in the 1950s. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the pastor was assisted by priests from the Jesuit Novitiate at Sheridan and from Mount Angel Abbey. City water was piped into the church in 1958, sparing parishioners the chore of bringing water from home for the flowers.
- Reassigned as a mission of Newberg (1930)
- Bus Committee formed for Catholic schoolchildren (1947)
- City water piped into the church (1958)
Becoming a parish (1970–1972)
In 1970 Fr. David Rochan became the parish's first resident priest, moving into Yamhill with his mother and serving alongside Fr. Taaffe. Two years later, in 1972, St. John the Evangelist was officially constituted as an independent parish — more than six decades after the original church building had been dedicated.
- First resident priest: Fr. David Rochan (1970)
- Officially constituted as a parish: 1972
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. John the Evangelist is a small parish with a tight-knit staff. Fr. Julio Torres serves as pastor and leads the Tuesday-morning Bible study; the rest of the parish office is supported by a Director of Religious Education, a Finance Officer/Bookkeeper, an Administrative Assistant, and a Janitor.
- Fr. Julio Torres — Pastor
- Mrs. Kristin Pond — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Deanna Steele — Finance Officer / Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Ms. Reina Martinez — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Fernando Rico-Alvarez — Janitor ([email protected])
Ministries & Outreach
For a parish of its size, St. John the Evangelist runs a notably broad range of ministries, much of it lay-led. Outreach to the sick, the homebound, and those in material need is a particular hallmark of the parish, alongside formation for children and adults.
Parish Health Ministry
The Parish Health Ministry helps parishioners treat their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. It is organized by a retired RN and offers a certified exercise program on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings; the ministry also raises awareness of health issues such as hearing loss.
- Organized by a retired Registered Nurse
- Certified exercise program: Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings
- Health awareness (e.g., hearing loss)
Outreach, Transportation & Share and Care
An Outreach Ministry focuses on parishioners who have been absent, are sick, or live alone with physical limitations, while a parish Transportation Ministry connects volunteers with those who need rides to Mass, medical appointments, shopping, or home visits. The Share and Care Ministry provides free basic food and other items to those in need.
- Outreach to the absent, sick, and homebound
- Rides to Mass, medical appointments, shopping, and home visits
- Share and Care food ministry
Faith Formation
Faith formation at St. John's covers children, youth, and adults. The Director of Religious Education, Kristin Pond, coordinates classes for children (registration in early September, first day of classes in mid-September). Adult formation includes a Tuesday-morning Bible study with Fr. Julio Torres, and a summer series on "The Mass" by Bishop Barron. The parish has also actively supported its youth in attending the Steubenville conference through donations, prayers, and encouragement.
- Religious Education classes for children (Director: Kristin Pond)
- Tuesday-morning Bible study with Fr. Julio Torres
- Summer Adult Formation: "The Mass" by Bishop Barron (Wednesday evenings)
- Youth participation in the Steubenville conference
Devotions & Parish Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish sustains a quiet devotional rhythm: the Rosary is prayed before Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration is held Thursday mornings, and Coffee and Donuts are served after Sunday Mass as a fellowship opportunity. Prayer intentions for the ill, recovering, or deceased are published in the parish bulletin.
- Rosary before Sunday Mass
- Eucharistic Adoration Thursday mornings
- Coffee and Donuts after Sunday Mass
- Prayer intentions published in the bulletin
Scam Awareness & Parish Communications
The parish has posted a prominent warning that some residents have received suspicious calls, text messages, and emails purporting to be from Fr. Julio Torres or from "key parishioners" requesting financial assistance. According to the parish's own statement, St. John the Evangelist communicates ONLY through its official website, bulletin, official Facebook page, official email account, telephone calls from the parish office, and announcements at the end of Mass — and never by text message, app, or personal email asking for money.
- Official communication channels: parish website, bulletin, official Facebook, official email, parish office phone, end-of-Mass announcements
- Suspicious texts, app messages, and personal emails are NOT from the parish
Visit & Contact
St. John the Evangelist welcomes visitors and newcomers to its Masses, weekday devotions, and parish events. The parish office is reachable by phone during posted office hours, and the church is listed on the Archdiocese of Portland's parish finder.
- Address: 445 N. Maple St., Yamhill, OR 97148
- Phone: (503) 662-4291
- Website: http://stjohnyamhill.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/StJohnsCatholic
- Listed on the Archdiocese of Portland parish finder (archdpdx.org/parishfinder)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. McDevitt1910
Priest in charge of St. Anthony's Chapel Car; held the mission at which the 8 Catholic families of Yamhill decided to build a church.
- Fr. David Rochan1970
First resident priest of St. John the Evangelist; moved to the parish with his mother and served alongside Fr. Taaffe.
- Fr. Taaffec. 1970
Serving alongside the first resident priest Fr. David Rochan in 1970.
- Fr. Julio Torrescurrent
Current pastor; leads Tuesday-morning Bible study and is the public face of the parish.