About St. Mary · Corvallis, Oregon
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Corvallis, Oregon is a parish of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon served by priests of the Saint John Society. Founded on February 17, 1861 — just eight years after the first Catholic Mass was said in western Oregon — it is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the Willamette Valley and serves both longtime Corvallis families and the Oregon State University community through the Newman Center, established in 1917. The parish describes itself as a community centered on evangelization and discipleship, striving to radiate the new life in Christ to those around it, with Mass offered in English and Spanish and a vibrant student Mass during the academic year.
- Established
- 1861
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Lucas Laborde
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Mary's welcomes Catholics from every walk of life — longtime Corvallis families, Oregon State University students, and Spanish-speaking parishioners — into one worshipping community centered on evangelization and discipleship. Worship is offered five ways each Sunday (including a contemporary Mass, a traditional Mass, a Spanish Mass, and a student Mass during the academic year), with daily Mass Monday through Saturday, regular confession, and ongoing formation for every age from the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium for preschoolers through OCIA, Confirmation, small groups, Faith Café adult formation, and a Theology Academy.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:00 – 6:00 PM
- Saturday 3:00 – 4:30 PM
- Sunday 12:00 – 12:30 PM (en Español)
Parish Identity & Leadership
St. Mary's Catholic Church describes itself as a Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, under the pastoral care of the Saint John Society, 'centered on evangelization and discipleship, striving to radiate the new life in Christ to those around us.' The current pastor is Fr. Lucas Laborde, a priest of the Saint John Society, who also teaches in the parish's Theology Academy. He is assisted by Fr. John Poodts, Deacon Francis Potts, and Rev. Mr. Michael Cihak (who assists with funeral arrangements).
- Pastor: Fr. Lucas Laborde
- Fr. John Poodts
- Deacon Francis Potts
- Rev. Mr. Michael Cihak (funeral arrangements, 541-990-4849)
- Pastoral care entrusted to the Saint John Society
- Jurisdiction: Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Parish Staff
Beyond the clergy, St. Mary's is served by a lay leadership team in administration and ministry. The business and parish operations are managed by a Business Manager and Bookkeeper, with an Administrative Assistant in the parish office. Ministry staff includes a Director of Religious Education, a Pastoral Associate, a Hispanic Ministry Coordinator, and the Newman Center Director & Chaplain.
- Lauren Sanders — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Will Kalenius — Newman Center Director & Chaplain
- Sherri Long — Pastoral Associate
- Gabriel Castañeda — Hispanic Ministry Coordinator
- Patty Humphrey — Business Manager
- Kathy Lane — Administrative Assistant
- Bookkeeper
Parish History — 1861 to Today
St. Mary's traces its origins to February 17, 1861, when the first parish church was built at 4th and Adams Street — just eight years after the first Catholic Mass was said in western Oregon. A larger second church was dedicated May 19, 1912, and the parish grew so rapidly that in 1968 the community dedicated its present church on ten acres of land purchased on NW 25th Street. Over the decades, older buildings were repurposed within parish life: the 1861 church, for instance, became the Newman Center and Social Hall when the parish moved to its larger 1912 building.
- 1861 — Original church at 4th and Adams Street founded February 17.
- 1912 — Second church dedicated May 19 (Gerding dedication letter preserved in the parish archive).
- 1968 — Current church dedicated February 17 on NW 25th Street.
- 1981 — Parish Council formally establishes the parish archives (Gloria Amort, Catherine Brockamp, Preston Onstad).
- Today — A Digital Parish Archive preserves 160+ years of art, photographs, and documents online.
Newman Center at Oregon State University
The Newman Center at Oregon State University is the Catholic campus ministry founded from St. Mary's parish on April 18, 1917 — originally called the Newman Club — to serve the university's Catholic students. Over the decades it has moved several times, including a stint in the converted 1861 parish church, before the current Newman Center building was purchased on August 31, 1966, at 2127 SW Monroe Avenue. Its ministry is led by the Newman Center Director & Chaplain Will Kalenius, and the parish's Sunday evening 7:00 PM Student Mass during the academic year is a centerpiece of its outreach to students.
- Founded April 18, 1917 as the Newman Club
- Housed in the converted 1861 parish church before moving
- Current building at 2127 SW Monroe Avenue purchased August 31, 1966
- Sunday 7:00 PM Student Mass during the academic year
- Director & Chaplain: Will Kalenius
- More info at osunewman.org
Religious Education & Sacramental Preparation
Religious Education at St. Mary's serves students from PreK through middle school, partnering with parents as the primary educators of their children's faith. The PreK Atrium (ages 3+) uses Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based approach that introduces children to the Gospels and liturgical life. Sacramental preparation follows the Archdiocese of Portland's grade-level framework, with Confirmation now received in 7th grade. A youth version of OCIA is offered for older children who still need the initial sacraments.
- PreK Atrium — Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Montessori-based, ages 3+)
- Sacramental Preparation in 2nd grade (First Reconciliation) and 3rd grade (First Communion)
- Confirmation preparation begins in 6th grade; Sacrament conferred in 7th grade
- Youth OCIA for older children not yet baptized or completing sacraments
- PreK–Confirmation classes meet Sundays 10:00–11:15 AM after the 8:30 AM Family Mass
- Financial aid available; no fee for Youth Group or RE youth volunteers
- Contact: Lauren Sanders, [email protected]
Youth Ministry
St. Mary's offers dedicated ministry for both middle school and high school youth, growing in faith together as a community. Activities include Cenaculo and other faith-and-fun gatherings.
- Middle School Youth Ministry
- High School Youth Ministry
- Cenaculo events hosted at St. Mary's
- Middle School Youth Group Calendar available online
- No fee for Youth Group participation
Adult Faith Formation — Faith Café, Small Groups & Theology Academy
Adults at St. Mary's have multiple formation pathways. Faith Café meets Sundays during Religious Education hours in the Aquinas Room for adult Bible study, presentations, and fellowship over coffee. Small Groups of 5–12 meet twice a month in homes, using video courses from Formed.org as discussion springboards. The Theology Academy offers deeper courses — recent offerings include 'The Last Things' led by Fr. Lucas Laborde, using C. S. Lewis's novel The Great Divorce as a guide.
- Faith Café — Sundays 10:10–11:25 AM in the Aquinas Room (across the hall from the Parish Center)
- Small Groups — 5–12 participants, twice monthly in homes, often using Formed.org content
- Theology Academy — e.g., 'The Last Things' course led by Fr. Lucas Laborde
- Small Group facilitator training offered periodically
- Contact: Lauren Sanders, [email protected]
Digital Faith Formation — Formed.org
St. Mary's provides parishioners free access to Formed.org, an online platform of Catholic videos, audio talks, eBooks, and movies from partners such as the Augustine Institute, St. Paul Center, Marian Fathers, Lighthouse Catholic Media, Ignatius Press, and Word on Fire. It supports both parish-wide catechesis and personal faith formation, and is used as the backbone of the Small Groups curriculum.
- Free to all St. Mary's parishioners
- Video, audio, eBook, and movie content from leading Catholic publishers
- Used by parish Small Groups as their main discussion content
- Sign-up instructions provided on the parish website
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
In addition to the sacraments of initiation celebrated through Religious Education and OCIA, St. Mary's celebrates and ministers the sacraments of marriage, anointing of the sick, and funerals. For Last Rites, parishioners call the parish line and follow the prompt for the priest on call. Funeral arrangements go through Deacon Michael Cihak.
- Baptism — through parish preparation
- First Reconciliation (2nd grade) and First Communion (3rd grade)
- Confirmation (7th grade) — see Confirmation page for sponsor guidelines
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites — call 541-757-1988 and follow the prompt
- Funerals — contact Deacon Michael Cihak at 541-990-4849
- OCIA for adults and older youth
Digital Parish Archive
The parish maintains an unusually rich online archive of its own history. Established formally by the Parish Council in December 1981 and built out further during Bishop Steiner's pastorate at the request of the Archdiocese of Portland, the archive today holds digitized images and photographs of historic art, the church buildings, parish events, and the Newman Center. A University of Washington iSchool capstone project helped bring the archive online so that newcomers and visitors can explore the parish's 160+ years of Catholic life in Corvallis.
- 160+ years of parish history documented online
- Founding collection assembled by Gloria Amort, Catherine Brockamp, and Preston Onstad (1981)
- Includes the 1912 Gerding dedication letter and photographs of the 1968 church dedication
- Photographs of the Newman Center through the decades
- Volunteers welcomed to help identify, scan, and organize materials
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Bishop Steiner
During his tenure as pastor, the Archdiocese of Portland requested that all parishes compile their history; the current archive work traces back to his pastorate.