About St. Louis · Gervais, Oregon
Sacred Heart–St. Louis Parish is a combined Catholic parish serving the small communities of Gervais and St. Louis in Oregon's French Prairie, founded in 1847 as the third Catholic parish established in what is now the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. Today the unified parish worships at two historic church buildings — Sacred Heart Church in Gervais (the parish office location) and the 1880 St. Louis Church in nearby St. Louis, the oldest wooden church in the archdiocese — and operates the parish-run Sacred Heart Catholic School. With a longtime English-speaking farming community and a thriving Hispanic ministry side by side, the parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish and is known for its Eucharistic devotion, a walking Rosary garden, an active Knights of Columbus council, and a Catholic Daughters of America court that maintains the Vivian Duda Memorial Scholarship.
- Established
- 1847
- Patron
- Saint Louis, King of France (St. Louis Church); combined parish also honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. James Herrera
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
Sacred Heart–St. Louis is one of the oldest Catholic communities in Oregon, with two beautiful and historic church buildings still in regular use and a parish school that is part of daily parish life. The parish welcomes both longtime French Prairie farm families and a large Hispanic community, with Mass celebrated in English and Spanish every weekend and a full calendar of devotions — First Friday, First Saturday, Divine Mercy, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Posadas — alongside parish organizations like the Knights of Columbus (famous locally for their chicken dinners) and the Catholic Daughters of America. If you are looking for a parish with deep roots, real bilingual community, and a strong Catholic school all on the same campus, this is a good place to belong.
Mass times at St. Louis
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00 PM (Sacred Heart Church)
- Saturday 3:00 PM (Sacred Heart Church)
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel (temporarily relocated to the youth room in the parish office building during Sacred Heart Church renovation)
Parish History
The Catholic community at St. Louis, Oregon, was organized on November 3, 1847, the third parish established in what is now the Archdiocese of Portland. In 1845 Jesuit missionary Reverend Aloysius Verecuysee had built a log church for the French-Canadian settlers on the French Prairie, and in November 1847 the first resident priest, Rev. B. Delorme, arrived; the parish was named for Saint Louis, King of France. The current St. Louis Catholic Church was built in 1880 on the site of the original St. Louis cemetery and remains the oldest wooden church in the archdiocese.
- 1845 – Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Verecuysee builds a log church at St. Louis
- November 3, 1847 – Parish organized with first resident priest, Rev. B. Delorme
- 1860 – St. Louis post office established (closed 1901, mail routed to Gervais)
- 1872 – Gervais separated from St. Louis as a new parish (patronage: Sts. Gervase and Protase)
- 1880 – St. Louis Catholic Church built on the original cemetery site
- 1895 – Gervais parish patronage changed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- 1980 – Sacred Heart pastor also serves as administrator of St. Louis
- 1991 – Two parishes reunited as Sacred Heart–St. Louis Parish
Our Two Churches
The parish worships at two historic church buildings that still maintain their separate identities and histories, while sharing one pastor, one staff, and one parish community.
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church — 485 7th St., Gervais, OR 97026 (downtown Gervais, current site of renovation)
- Saint Louis Church — 14013 Manning Road NE, Gervais, OR 97026 (about three miles NW of Gervais, oldest wooden church in the archdiocese)
- Masses are normally held at Sacred Heart Church except the Sunday 8:00 AM Mass and Saturday morning Mass, which are held at St. Louis Church; during the current renovation of Sacred Heart, most Masses have been moved to St. Louis Church.
Sacred Heart Catholic School
Sacred Heart Catholic School sits on the same campus as the parish church in Gervais and is a core part of parish life. A walking Rosary garden lies between the church and the school.
- Preschool program
- ECLIP program
- Registration open for the 2024–2025 school year
- Principal: Mariana Hill ([email protected])
- Administrative Assistant: Cindy Schnurbusch — (503) 792-4541, [email protected]
- Tuition information and employment opportunities posted on the school website
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Faith formation at Sacred Heart–St. Louis follows the Archdiocese of Portland's norms, with Confirmation preparation restructured as a two-year process beginning in 6th grade, completed in 7th grade. The parish is currently hiring a Coordinator for Youth Ministry for Grades 6–12.
- Director of Religious Education: Sandi Belleque
- Youth Coordinator: Karen Orton — [email protected], (503) 751-2532
- Confirmation: 6th–7th grade two-year program, families involved in parish life
- Youth Group: middle and high school, meets twice a month (see bulletin)
Hispanic Community and Spanish-Language Ministry
The Hispanic community is a large and active part of parish life, with weekly Spanish Masses, two Spanish prayer groups, and beloved traditional devotions that have been observed in the parish since the 1990s.
- Spanish Vigil Mass: Saturdays 6:00 PM at Sacred Heart
- Spanish Weekday Mass: Wednesdays 6:30 PM at Sacred Heart
- 1st Friday Spanish Mass: 6:30 PM at Sacred Heart
- Charismatic Prayer Group (longtime Spanish prayer group)
- San Juan Diego Spanish prayer group (newer)
- Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe (since the 1990s)
- Devotion to Divino Niño
- Posadas with rosary (more recently incorporated)
Parish Organizations and Outreach
Sacred Heart–St. Louis has a strong tradition of lay-led organizations that serve the parish and wider community and raise funds for parish projects and scholarships.
- Knights of Columbus — famous locally for their chicken dinners
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas — Court chartered March 2001 with over 40 founding members; active at local and state levels
- Vivian Duda Memorial Scholarship — established 2011, annual college scholarships for parishioners and family members
- Annual CDA High Tea each February at St. Louis Hall
- WE SHARE online giving program
Devotions and Eucharistic Life
The parish describes itself as 'a community of Catholic believers with a long history of devotion to the Holy Eucharist,' and the church buildings, the Rosary garden, and the adoration chapel all support that devotional life. During the current Sacred Heart renovation, the Adoration Chapel has been temporarily moved to the youth room in the parish office building.
- First Friday Mass (English and Spanish)
- First Saturday devotion
- Divine Mercy devotion
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast / Devotion
- Divino Niño devotion
- Posadas
- Walking Rosary garden between church and school
- Adoration Chapel (relocated during renovation)
Sacred Heart Church Renovation
Sacred Heart Church is undergoing an interior renovation: the old carpet is being removed, the concrete floors refinished, new wood flooring added in the sanctuary, and the interior repainted. While work is underway (covering the summer months), most Masses have been moved to St. Louis Church, with occasional Masses possibly held in the Sacred Heart Gym.
- Carpet removal and concrete floor refinishing
- New wood flooring in the sanctuary area
- Interior repainting
- Most Masses relocated to St. Louis Church during the work
- Adoration Chapel temporarily in the youth room of the parish office building
- Watch the bulletin and parish website for the latest location updates
Contact, Staff, and Visiting
The parish office is staffed Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Mail for either church should go to the PO Box in Gervais; both church addresses note 'NO MAIL DELIVERY.'
- Pastor: Fr. James Herrera — [email protected]
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Chrispine Otieno
- Parish Secretary: Barbara Daniels — [email protected]
- Phone: (503) 792-4231; Fax: (503) 792-3749
- Parish Office: 605 7th St., Gervais, OR 97026
- Mailing Address: PO Box 236, Gervais, OR 97026
- Sacred Heart Church: 485 7th St., Gervais, OR 97026
- St. Louis Church: 14013 Manning Road NE, Gervais, OR 97026
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James HerreraJuly 2018 – present
Current pastor; also oversees Sacred Heart Catholic School.
- Fr. Chrispine Otieno
Parochial Vicar assisting the pastor.