About St. Mary by the Sea · Rockaway, Oregon
St. Mary by the Sea is a small Catholic parish in Rockaway Beach, Oregon, on the Tillamook Coast. The parish worships in a unique 1927 cedar-paneled church built in a nautical ship-cabin style that sits within roughly 150 feet of the Pacific Ocean — visitors and parishioners regularly describe it as one of the closest Catholic churches to the surf in the United States. It is pastored by Fr. Macdonald Akuti, AJ, and belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The community identifies itself as a loving, welcoming family committed to spreading the love of Jesus Christ along the coast and into the wider world.
- Established
- 1927
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Macdonald Akuti, AJ
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Mary by the Sea is a small, warm parish where people genuinely know one another and where the natural beauty of the Oregon coast is part of daily worship — Mass and adoration are celebrated in a one-of-a-kind 1927 cedar-and-anchor church a stone's throw from the Pacific. The parish offers the full rhythm of Catholic life — weekend and weekday Masses, Saturday reconciliation, Thursday adoration, and a Sunday School during the 10:30 Mass — alongside active lay ministries including Faith Formation, a parish choir, Hospitality, a Circle of Caring for those in need, gardening and church-flower teams, and a Celebrate Recovery program. It is an ideal parish for coastal residents, summer visitors, and anyone seeking a close-knit Catholic community rooted in the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mass times at St. Mary by the Sea
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday at 4:00 PM
- All other sacraments by appointment — please call the office
Adoration times
- Every Thursday after the 9:30 AM Mass until Noon
- First Saturdays after Mass for one hour
Welcome to St. Mary by the Sea
The parish describes itself as 'a loving, supportive, and vibrant Catholic community committed to being a welcoming parish family by spreading the Love of Jesus Christ throughout our community and into the world.' The parish is small and tight-knit, and visitors are warmly invited to join in Mass, reconciliation, adoration, Sunday School, and the many lay ministries that sustain parish life along the coast.
History of St. Mary by the Sea Parish
Catholic life on the Rockaway coast goes back to the 1860s, when traveling priests said Mass in private homes. From 1921, Father Hildebrand Melchior, O.S.B. — a Benedictine missionary from Mt. Angel Abbey serving the Tillamook mission — celebrated summer Mass in a local theater. In 1926 he and his father, architect-carpenter Michael Melchior, designed and built the present church, which was dedicated by Abbot Bernard Murphy, O.S.B. on September 4, 1927 and completed for services on June 21, 1928. The mission was raised to an independent parish on March 17, 1948, with Father Victor Rass as the first resident pastor. The parish has since been served by Benedictine, Jesuit, and diocesan priests, and today continues as a small, welcoming coastal parish under Fr. Macdonald Akuti, AJ.
- First Rockaway Mass: July 10, 1921 (in a local theater/moving-picture house)
- Lot at 3rd and Pacific purchased: 1923 (first parcel) and 1927 (remainder)
- Church dedicated: September 4, 1927, by Rt. Rev. Abbot Bernard Murphy, O.S.B.
- Church completed for services: June 21, 1928
- Bronze bell installed: August 11, 1929, inscribed 'In Honor of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Rockaway Oregon'
- Established as an independent parish: March 17, 1948
- Founding pastor (independent parish): Father Victor Rass
Architecture & Nautical Interior
Visitors regularly describe St. Mary's By-The-Sea as 'unique' and 'picturesque.' Bartlett Jones's 1965 Catholic Sentinel profile is still quoted on the parish history page: walls and ceiling are paneled like ship's cabins in hand-selected, straight-grain, knot-free cedar, the sanctuary beams show a shipwright's hand, and the lighting is supported on four-pronged anchors decorated with a ship's wheel and hung by chains. Two ship's lanterns flank the altar; half-anchors support lights on the side altars; two stained glass windows (Twin Rocks, and a lighthouse beacon shining on an anchor) set the nautical theme; and the holy water fonts are carved as Spanish galleons. Large interior paintings depict Christ in the fishing boat with the Apostles and a seascape of the Virgin Mary, and a white painted concrete statue of the Holy Mother stands in front of the building.
- Cedar ship's-cabin paneling throughout
- Anchor-and-chain lighting with ship's-wheel motifs
- Two ship's lanterns flanking the main altar
- Twin Rocks and lighthouse/anchor stained glass windows
- Holy water fonts carved as Spanish galleons
- 1929 bronze bell honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Claimed to be within ~150 feet of the Pacific — closer to the ocean than any other Catholic church in the United States
Parish Staff
The parish is led pastorally by Fr. Macdonald Akuti, AJ, supported by a parish secretary and bookkeeper. Lay leadership is provided through the Parish Council, the Pastoral Ministries Finance Council, and the Amazing Parish Leadership Team, with named coordinators for each ministry.
- Pastor: Fr. Macdonald Akuti, AJ — 424-410-0097 — [email protected]
- Parish Secretary: Doris Hillyer Matthews — 503-355-2661 — [email protected]
- Bookkeeper: Lauri Conway
- Parish Office: 503-355-2661 — [email protected]
- Parish Office hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday — 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (closed Monday and Tuesday)
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Parish life is sustained by a broad network of lay-led ministries — from liturgy and music to formation, hospitality, outreach, and hands-on stewardship of the buildings and grounds. The current bulletin lists coordinators and members for each ministry.
- Pastoral Ministries Finance Council
- Parish Council
- Amazing Parish Leadership Team
- Hospitality Ministry
- Parish Choir (with Israel Pozos's group)
- Lectors & Eucharistic Ministers (Coordinator: Alicia Voss)
- Faith Formation / Sunday School (Louise Rosas)
- Celebrate Recovery (Steve Bloom, Wayne Schultz, Mike Davis)
- Circle of Caring (visits and outreach to those in need)
- Church Flower Decor (Gloria Lyons)
- Gardening (Catherine Imbrie & Marie Hennessey)
- Maintenance (Wayne Schultz & Mike Davis)
Sacraments
Reconciliation is offered every Saturday at 4:00 PM. All other sacraments — including Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation — are arranged by appointment through the parish office (503-355-2661).
- Reconciliation: Saturday 4:00 PM
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, etc.: by appointment via the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Victor Rass1948–
First resident pastor when St. Mary's By-The-Sea was established as an independent parish on March 17, 1948.
- Fr. Jack Morris, S.J.
Jesuit priest who served the parish.
- Fr. Larry Gooley, S.J.
Jesuit priest who served the parish.
- Fr. Amal Irudayaraj
Diocesan priest.
- Fr. Mariano Escano
Diocesan priest.
- Fr. Angelo Te
Diocesan priest.
- Fr. Macdonald Akuti, AJ
Current pastor (2023 bulletin).
- Fr. Brendan Shea, O.S.B.
Served in a temporary capacity.
- Fr. Paul Benedict, O.S.B.
Served in a temporary capacity.
- Fr. Norman Rice
Diocesan priest who served in a temporary capacity.
- Fr. William Maat... (truncated on parish site)
Priest who served in a temporary capacity; surname partially cut off in source.
- Fr. Thomas Brock... (truncated on parish site)
Summer Assistant; name partially cut off in source.