About St. Mary · Aumsville, Oregon
St. Mary Catholic Church (often called St. Mary's, Shaw) is a small rural Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of Shaw, in the Waldo Hills southeast of Salem, Oregon. The parish shares clergy and pastoral ministry with neighboring Immaculate Conception in Stayton and St. Boniface in Sublimity under the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. It is known for an unusually full weekly Mass schedule for a parish of its size, with daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, a Saturday vigil, and a Sunday morning Mass, and it serves farm and small-town families across the Aumsville/Shaw area.
- Established
- 1876
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish name: St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Paul Materu, ALCP
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers something rare for a small rural parish: daily Mass four days a week, a Saturday vigil, and a Sunday morning Mass — a full liturgical schedule that draws Catholics from across the Waldo Hills, Aumsville, and the surrounding Marion County farmland. As a mission-style parish clustered with Immaculate Conception (Stayton) and St. Boniface (Sublimity), it gives families the warmth of a tight-knit country parish backed by the resources of a larger pastoral team, including a dedicated Director of Religious Education for faith formation.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday — First of the month (check parish bulletin for time)
About St. Mary Catholic Church, Shaw
St. Mary (commonly called St. Mary's, Shaw) is a small Catholic parish perched on a hill in the unincorporated community of Shaw, in the Waldo Hills southeast of Salem, Oregon. Its mailing address uses nearby Aumsville, OR 97325. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and today operates as part of a three-parish cluster with Immaculate Conception in Stayton and St. Boniface in Sublimity, sharing clergy and administrative support.
- Parish address: 9168 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Aumsville, OR 97325
- Phone: (503) 362-6159
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stmaryshaw.com
- Pastoral cluster: St. Mary's (Shaw) · St. Boniface (Sublimity) · Immaculate Conception (Stayton)
History of the Parish
The Catholic community on the Shaw hill dates to the late 1800s. According to the Willamette Heritage Center, Catholic property here was purchased in 1876 and a church was dedicated in 1903. Over the following decades the parish added a rectory, a parochial school, a parish hall, and a cemetery to its grounds. In 1962 the older church was replaced by a newer building — a structure famously toppled just months later by the Columbus Day Storm of October 12, 1962. The present-day St. Mary's church was built in the storm's wake, and additional parish buildings have been added to the complex since.
- 1876 — Catholic parish property in Shaw purchased
- 1903 — First St. Mary's church dedicated on the hill
- 1962 — Newer church building completed and dedicated
- October 12, 1962 — Columbus Day Storm topples the new church; current church built afterward
- Recent years — Pastoral team shared with St. Boniface, Sublimity
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Cluster
St. Mary's is shepherded by a pastoral team that also serves neighboring St. Boniface in Sublimity and Immaculate Conception in Stayton. Parish operations are supported by an administrative assistant and a Director of Religious Education.
- Pastor — Rev. Paul Materu, ALCP
- Assisting Priest — Rev. Dick Rossma
- Deacon — Deacon Steve Tabor
- Administrative Assistant — Kathy McNulty
- Director of Religious Education (DRE) — Valerie McClanahan
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
For a small rural parish, St. Mary's publishes a notably full weekly schedule: a Saturday vigil Mass, Sunday morning Mass, and daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, with two Masses offered on Holy Days and Ash Wednesday.
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 PM
- Sunday — 8:00 AM
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday — 8:30 AM
- Holy Days — 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM
- Confession — Tuesday, first of the month (per parish bulletin listing)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Mary's is coordinated through the parish's Director of Religious Education, Valerie McClanahan, who works across the cluster of parishes. Families wishing to enroll children in religious education, sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation), or RCIA for adults should contact the parish office.
- Director of Religious Education: Valerie McClanahan
- Sacramental prep for First Communion and Confirmation
- RCIA for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church
The Parish Campus
Set on a rise overlooking the old Shaw townsite, the St. Mary's campus still contains many of the structures that have served the parish for more than a century, including the parish cemetery. The setting — a country church on a hill amid the Waldo Hills farmland — remains one of its defining characteristics.
- Parish church (current building, post-1962 Columbus Day Storm)
- Rectory
- Parish hall
- Parish cemetery
- Grounds overlooking Silver Falls Highway and the historic Shaw townsite
Visiting St. Mary's
St. Mary's welcomes visitors and regularly schedules Mass for travelers and locals alike. Because the parish shares its pastor with St. Boniface and Immaculate Conception, the parish office is reachable by phone or email and can direct sacramental requests, anointing of the sick, baptism preparation, marriage preparation, and other pastoral needs.
- Parish office: (503) 362-6159
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stmaryshaw.com
- Address: 9168 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Aumsville, OR 97325
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Paul Materu, ALCPcurrent (as of late 2024/2025)
Shares pastoral duties with St. Boniface, Sublimity, as part of a clustered pastoral team.