About St. Joseph the Worker · Portland, Oregon
St. Joseph the Worker is a parish of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, located at 2310 SE 148th Avenue in southeast Portland. Founded in 1955 out of the old Kronenberg church, it now serves as a remarkably multicultural community, with regular Masses celebrated in English, Spanish, and Zomi/Myanmar for Portland's Burmese immigrant community. The parish completed a $5 million renovation in 2018 and continues to grow, currently shepherded by Fr. Niall O'Riordan of the religious community Work of Jesus the High Priest (OJSS).
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- St. Joseph the Worker
- Rector
- Fr. Niall O'Riordan, OJSS
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Joseph the Worker is one of the most intentionally multicultural parishes in the Portland area: weekend Mass is offered in English, Spanish, and Zomi/Myanmar, and the parish regularly celebrates its diversity through events like the International Food Faire. With weekday adoration, multiple weekly confession times, a strong music ministry of three choirs, classic parish groups (Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Pro-Life, Helping Hands), and religious education for families, it is a place where both longtime Portland Catholics and recent immigrants from Burma, Latin America, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the Middle East worship side by side.
Mass times at St. Joseph the Worker
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- 1st Saturday: 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM (contact the parish office at 503-761-8710 x1303 to sign up for an hour)
Parish History
St. Joseph the Worker traces its origin to 1954, when Fr. Jerome Schmitz reorganized the old Kronenberg Church in southeast Portland into three new parishes — St. Therese, St. Anne, and St. Joseph the Worker. The parish was formally founded in 1955 with 821 families, ten acres, a parish school, and a row of sequoias planted along the entrance. The current building was extensively renovated and rededicated on January 28, 2018.
- 1954 — Old Kronenberg Church split into three parishes under Fr. Jerome Schmitz
- 1955 — Parish officially founded with 821 families and a school of 53 students
- 1957 — Auditorium church and two classrooms added; Fr. Gimpl joins as associate pastor
- 1975 — Parish school closes
- 2017 — Fr. Ted Prentice becomes pastor; Archdiocese approves Zomi/Myanmar Mass
- 2018 — First Spanish Mass and $5M renovation/rededication of the church
- 2023 — OJSS priests (Fr. Gabriele, Fr. Francesco, Fr. Niall) arrive from Europe
- Nov 19, 2023 — Fr. Niall O'Riordan installed as pastor
- May 5, 2024 — Feast of St. Joseph the Worker celebrated alongside First Communions and an International Food Faire
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Niall O'Riordan, OJSS, of the religious community Work of Jesus the High Priest, who was installed November 19, 2023. The parish office staff includes Lucia Lopez (Baptism and sacramental contact, x1307). Pastoral Council members include David Mastroieni (chairman), Jim Anderson, Michelle Craver, and Jose DeLeon.
- Fr. Niall O'Riordan, OJSS — Pastor
- Fr. Gabriele Maria White, OJSS — former pastor (July–November 2023)
- Fr. Francesco dePuydt, OJSS — pastor of St. Henry, joined parish team in 2023
- Lucia Lopez — parish office (x1307) for baptism/sacramental registration
- Laura Bissonette — Coordinator of Music Ministry
- Angie Jauregui — Cantor
Music Ministry
The music ministry enriches every liturgy and is organized into three choirs — one for each language community. The St. Joseph Choir (led by Coordinator Laura Bissonette and Cantor Angie Jauregui) leads the Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning English Masses; the Hispanic Group leads the Sunday Spanish Mass; and the Zomi/Myanmar Choir leads the Burmese-language Mass.
- St. Joseph Choir (English — Saturday 5:00 PM, Sunday 8:30/10:30 AM)
- Hispanic Group (Spanish — Sunday 1:30 PM)
- Zomi/Myanmar Choir (Sunday 3:30 PM, 2nd & 4th Sundays)
- Contact: 503-761-8710 x1304 or stjosephtheworkerpdx.org/music-ministry
Parish Life & Ministries
St. Joseph the Worker is known for being especially diverse, with active Filipino, Hispanic, Lebanese/Syrian, Nigerian, Vietnamese, and Zomi/Myanmar communities. The parish supports religious education, Confirmation, youth ministry, and classic Catholic organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, and a Pro-Life Ministry.
- Pastoral Council — Fr. Niall O'Riordan, David Mastroieni (chair), Jim Anderson, Michelle Craver, Jose DeLeon
- Altar Guild (founded 1955, first president Kay Stout)
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Pro-Life Ministry
- Helping Hands Ministry
- Youth Ministry
- Religious education & Confirmation preparation
Sacraments
Information about the sacraments is handled through the parish office. English-language baptisms are coordinated by Lucia Lopez (x1307). Couples seeking Marriage, adults preparing for Confirmation through RCIA, and families registering for religious education are encouraged to contact the parish office.
- Baptism (English) — contact Lucia Lopez at the parish office x1307
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Confirmation preparation — see religious education page
- RCIA — see parish office for inquiry
The Church Building & Renovations
The church was substantially rededicated on January 28, 2018 after a $5 million renovation led by Grant Construction. The original 1955 tabernacle was preserved, a new marble-top altar was donated by Mike Grant, and the old 'Stella Maris' altar was relocated into the Holy Family Chapel (the former classroom 2). The new altar contains an authenticated relic of St. John Vianney, a gift from Fr. John Buffington.
- Original 1955 tabernacle — preserved
- New marble-top altar — built and donated by Mike Grant / Grant Construction
- 'Stella Maris' altar — relocated to the Holy Family Chapel
- Relic of St. John Vianney — embedded in the new altar
Cultural Diversity & International Food Faire
St. Joseph the Worker has become one of the most intentionally multicultural parishes in the Portland Archdiocese. On May 5, 2024, the parish brought together the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, First Communions, and an International Food Faire featuring Filipino, Hispanic, Lebanese/Syrian, Nigerian, Vietnamese, and Zomi cuisine, with readings and songs incorporating as many languages as possible. A statue of St. Joseph the Worker was placed in the narthex so it is the first thing visitors see on entering.
- Filipino community
- Hispanic community (weekly Sunday 1:30 PM Spanish Mass)
- Lebanese/Syrian community
- Nigerian community
- Vietnamese community
- Zomi/Myanmar community (2nd & 4th Sundays 3:30 PM)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jerome Schmitz1954–
Founder of the parish out of the old Kronenberg church (1954) and first pastor at the 1955 founding.
- Fr. Gimpl1957–
Joined Fr. Schmitz as associate pastor in September 1957.
- Fr. Ted Prentice2017–2023
Welcomed as pastor in 2017; initiated the first Spanish Mass on October 7, 2018; supported the establishment of the Zomi/Myanmar Mass.
- Fr. Gabriele Maria White, OJSSJuly 2023 – November 2023
Assumed pastorship July 2/3, 2023 as part of the OJSS mission to the Archdiocese; re-assigned to St. Therese on November 19, 2023.
- Fr. Niall O'Riordan, OJSS2023–present
Installed as pastor on November 19, 2023. Originally from Ireland, worked as a veterinarian treating horses including the racehorse Galileo, and was ordained in 2017.