About St. Peter · Newberg, Oregon
St. Peter Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Newberg, Oregon, and the only Catholic parish serving the Newberg community. Founded in 1895 as a mission of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, it today celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish across a busy weekly schedule. Under the pastoral care of Fr. Martin Tavares, the parish runs faith formation for adults and youth, a preschool, OCIA (formerly RCIA), the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters, and a Friday-night community supper. The parish is currently raising funds to build a new church on its existing Main Street campus.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. Peter (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Martin (Fr. Martin) Tavares
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Peter's is a small but active parish where baptisms, confirmations and weddings are happening at a healthy clip, and where new faces are welcomed into a real community. Weekly life includes OCIA classes for inquirers, a vibrant youth group attending the Steubenville NW Conference, men's Rosary on Tuesday nights, a Moms' Group, Saturday Bible studies, Adoration, and a Friday-night To Go Community Supper that feeds the wider Newberg neighborhood. Bilingual English and Spanish Masses make it a gathering place for the whole Yamhill County Catholic community.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
- Thursday 9:15 AM – 10:00 AM (after daily Mass)
- By appointment: call the parish office at (503) 538-4312
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:15 AM – 10:00 AM (following the 8:30 AM daily Mass; listed on the Reconciliation page alongside Adoration)
- First Friday Adoration 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM after the 8:30 AM Mass (per third-party Mass-time listings)
About St. Peter Parish
St. Peter Parish describes itself as 'Newberg's friendliest (and only) Catholic parish,' a small but active bilingual community that calls itself 'rooted in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass' and dedicated to evangelization, discipleship and service according to the teaching of Jesus Christ. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and offers Mass in both English and Spanish.
- Mission: 'St. Peter Parish, rooted in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, is dedicated to evangelization, discipleship and service, according to the teaching of Jesus Christ, handed on in the Catholic Church.'
- Misión: 'La parroquia de San Pedro establecida en el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa. Está dedicada a la evangelización, al discipulado y al servicio de acuerdo a las enseñanzas de Jesús dadas a la Iglesia Católica.'
Parish History
St. Peter Parish was established in 1895 as a Catholic mission, with its first worship space being the St. Anthony Chapel Car — a 72-foot railroad car fitted with a sanctuary and a small living area for the priest. By 1907–1908 the community had grown enough to build a small stone church on Main Street, the parish's first permanent building. Continued growth led to a 1956 purchase of an unused school building, and in the 1990s the parish acquired eight acres on its present Main Street campus, building classrooms, offices and a social hall. The current church on that site was completed in 2000, and a new church is now under construction with dedication expected in 2026.
- 1895 — Established as a mission; Mass first offered in the St. Anthony Chapel Car.
- 1907–1908 — First purpose-built church, a small stone structure on Main Street.
- 1956 — Parish purchases an unused school building.
- 1990s — Eight acres acquired on the present Main Street site; classrooms, offices and a social hall built.
- 2000 — Current church building constructed on the present campus.
- 2022 — 'Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future' capital campaign launched.
- Spring 2026 (planned) — Dedication of the new church.
Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future (New Church Campaign)
In 2022 the parish launched a capital campaign to construct a new, simple-yet-beautiful Catholic church on its existing campus. Parish reporting indicates roughly $5.3 million — about 90% of the needed funds — was raised, with groundbreaking planned and dedication anticipated in the spring of 2026. When completed, the parish will convert approximately 6,380 square feet of the existing structure into classrooms and space for parish/community events and outreach ministries such as the Friday Night Community Dinners and St. Peter's Linen Closet.
- Fundraising goal: approximately $5.3 million; ~90% raised as of recent reports.
- Groundbreaking planned for fall of the campaign year.
- New church dedication anticipated spring 2026.
- Reuse plan: 6,380 sq ft for classes, events, and outreach.
Clergy, Staff & Parish Office
The parish is served by Pastor Rev. Martin ('Fr. Martin') Tavares, who, as of recent parish profiles, was approaching his 10-year anniversary of priesthood and his eighth year at St. Peter's. Pastoral Associate Chase Willcuts helps coordinate parish life. Past staff/directory listings also reference a DRE & Youth Minister, a Business Manager and a Hispanic Ministry coordinator. The parish office is reached at (503) 538-4312; the email on file is [email protected].
- Rev. Martin Tavares — Pastor
- Chase Willcuts — Pastoral Associate
- Nancy Gooden — Parish Business Manager / Secretary (per parish staff page)
- Jose Montoya — Hispanic Ministry (per older directory listings)
- Parish office phone: (503) 538-4312
Worship Schedule & Languages
St. Peter's offers a busy weekly Mass schedule in both English and Spanish. Weekday Masses (Tuesday–Friday) are at 8:30 AM, with a Monday communion service in the same time slot. A Spanish Mass is celebrated on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM and on Sundays at 12:30 PM, alongside English Sunday Masses at 8:00 and 10:30 AM and a Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM.
- Monday 8:30 AM — Communion Service
- Tue–Fri 8:30 AM — Daily English Mass
- Thursday 7:00 PM — Spanish Mass
- Saturday 5:00 PM — Vigil Mass (English)
- Sunday 8:00 AM & 10:30 AM — English
- Sunday 12:30 PM — Spanish
Sacraments & Sacramental Preparation
St. Peter's prepares parishioners for the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church. Adult inquirers typically enter through the OCIA process; children and teens receive age-appropriate preparation for First Communion and Confirmation; engaged couples meet with the parish for marriage preparation; and anointing, communion calls and baptisms are coordinated through the parish office.
- O.C.I.A. (formerly RCIA) — Sundays 9:20–10:20 AM, late September through Easter; culminates at the Easter Vigil
- Baptism — preparation via parish office
- First Communion & Confirmation (youth and adult)
- Matrimony — preparation at the parish
- Anointing of the Sick / Communion calls — by appointment
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
The parish operates the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) each year. Classes meet Sunday mornings from 9:20 to 10:20 AM in the church, beginning around the last Sunday of September and continuing weekly (with holiday breaks) through Easter, when participants receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
- 2025–2026 classes begin Sunday, September 28
- Inquirers welcome to contact the parish office or simply show up to class
- Companion process for already-baptized Christians seeking full communion
Faith Formation, Youth & Children's Ministry
Faith formation for adults and children is a core part of parish life. The parish runs adult Faith Formation Classes and a DRE-led Youth Ministry. The youth group is large enough to send an annual delegation to the Steubenville NW youth conference, typically drawing almost all outgoing 8th graders. Children's Faith Formation includes sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation.
- Adult Faith Formation Classes
- Youth Ministry / Youth Group
- Steubenville NW youth conference delegation
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation for youth
Parish Ministries & Groups
Beyond worship, the parish hosts a wide range of ongoing groups — many of which meet in homes or on parish grounds — to serve parishioners and the wider Newberg community. These include both formative groups (Bible studies, men's and women's groups, prayer groups) and service ministries (community suppers, the Linen Closet).
- To Go Community Suppers — Fridays at 5:30 PM
- St. Peter's Linen Closet
- Young Adult Ministry — 2nd & 4th Sundays at noon
- Apostles of the Word — Mondays at 7:00 PM
- Men's Rosary — Tuesdays at 8:00 PM
- Mom's Group — 1st & 3rd Fridays at 7:00 PM
- Bible Studies — Saturdays at 8:00 AM
- Knights of Columbus
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas
Community Outreach & Charity
Despite being a small parish, St. Peter's is described as having an outsized reach in charity work. Its principal outreach staples are the Friday-night To Go Community Dinners and the Linen Closet, both of which serve the surrounding Newberg–Dundee community.
- To Go Community Suppers (Fridays 5:30 PM)
- St. Peter's Linen Closet
- Outreach supported through the new-church capital campaign
Father Jim Nibler Memorial Golf Tournament
Each year (the 16th annual was held in September 2023) the parish hosts a golf tournament in memory of its beloved former pastor Fr. Jim Nibler, who along with his brother and another parishioner died in a tragic boating accident. Tournament proceeds go to the parish's youth and facilities development.
- Annual fundraiser for youth & facilities
- Held at Chehalem area courses; 2023 cost was $140 per player including green fees, cart and lunch
Preschool
Parish directories list a preschool component of parish life, staffed by teachers such as Mary Ann Hanifan in past rosters. The preschool functions as one of the parish's ministries of service to young families in the Newberg area.
- On-campus preschool program
- Listed among parish ministries and staff responsibilities
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jim Nibler
Former parish priest, in whose memory the parish holds an annual Father Jim Nibler Memorial Golf Tournament benefiting youth and facilities.
- Fr. Don Gutmann
Listed as Pastor in older parish directory snapshots.
- Fr. Thomas Jackson
Among the early/listed succession noted on the parish history material; listed as the first resident priest in some parish records.