About St. Rose of Lima · Monroe, Oregon
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church is a small rural Roman Catholic parish located at 470 South 5th Street in Monroe, Oregon — a farming community in the southern Willamette Valley (Benton County). It belongs to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and is today twinned with nearby St. Helen Parish in Junction City, the two sharing one pastor, one bulletin, one website (strosesthelen.org), and one office phone line. The parish was founded in the late nineteenth century and grew up as the mother Catholic church for the lower Long Tom area, once serving as the parish church for what later became the separate communities of St. Helen (Junction City) and Our Lady of Victory (Harrisburg). Today the parish offers a Sunday morning Mass in English, a Wednesday evening Mass preceded by Holy Hour with the Rosary, and a warm small-town Catholic life complete with an annual Bingo Night.
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- St. Rose of Lima
- Rector
- Rev. Edgar Rivera (Rev. Edgar Eloy Rivera Torres)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Rose of Lima offers the full rhythm of Catholic sacramental life in an intimate rural setting: a Sunday morning English Mass, a midweek Wednesday evening Mass preceded by a Holy Hour with the Rosary and Confession, and a parish community rooted in over 140 years of faith in Monroe's Long Tom Valley. As part of the linked Parishes of St. Helen & St. Rose of Lima, Monroe worshippers share a pastor, bulletins, faith formation, and community events (including the annual Bingo Night at St. Rose) with their neighbors in Junction City — a real 'two parishes, one family' Catholic home in the southern Willamette Valley.
Mass times at St. Rose of Lima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00–5:20 PM (during Holy Hour at St. Rose of Lima)
- Saturdays 4:00–4:45 PM bilingual (at St. Helen, Junction City)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 4:30–5:20 PM (Holy Hour at St. Rose of Lima, with Rosary at 5:00 PM)
- Friday 9:00 AM–6:00 PM (at St. Helen chapel, Junction City) with bi-lingual Rosary & prayers starting at 5:00 PM
About St. Rose of Lima Parish
St. Rose of Lima is a small rural Catholic parish serving Monroe, Oregon and the surrounding farming communities in Benton County. It is one of two linked parishes — together with St. Helen in Junction City — that make up the Parishes of St. Helen & St. Rose of Lima, sharing a pastor, bulletins, faith formation, and community life. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and gathers for Sunday Mass, a Wednesday evening Mass preceded by Holy Hour, and special community events such as the annual Bingo Night.
- Type: Parish (Roman Catholic, Latin Rite)
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
- Location: 470 S. 5th St., Monroe, OR 97456
- Linked parish: St. Helen, 1350 W. Sixth Ave., Junction City, OR 97448
- Pastor: Rev. Edgar Rivera
History of St. Rose of Lima
St. Rose of Lima was founded in 1883, when Adam Wilhelm and other local Catholic pioneers organized the parish in Monroe. For many decades it was the mother church of the lower Long Tom Valley: the first Catholic church in Junction City, St. Mel (dedicated 1916 at 9th and Ivy), was a mission of St. Rose from 1916 until it closed in 1927, and Our Lady of Victory in Harrisburg (built 1914) was likewise established as a mission of Monroe. After St. Helen Parish in Junction City was founded in 1959, the two parishes continued to grow in parallel and today share clergy and staff as one pastoral unit.
- 1883: St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church established in Monroe
- 1914: Our Lady of Victory built in Harrisburg as a mission of St. Rose of Lima
- 1916: St. Mel Catholic Church dedicated in Junction City as a mission of St. Rose of Lima
- 1927: St. Mel closed
- 1959: 83 Junction City families form St. Helen Parish
- 1960: First Mass celebrated at St. Helen (December 1960); first resident priest Fr. Lowell Blackburn
- Today: Parishes of St. Helen & St. Rose of Lima share one pastor and one website
Priests Who Have Served the Parishes
Since St. Helen was established in 1959 (and drawing on the older roots at St. Rose in Monroe), the linked parishes have been served by a succession of priests. The current pastor, Rev. Edgar Rivera, leads both St. Helen in Junction City and St. Rose of Lima in Monroe from the shared parish office.
- Fr. Lowell Blackburn (1959–1967)
- Fr. Louis Rodakowski (1967–1970)
- Fr. Nicholas Deis (1970–1972)
- Fr. Earl Larsen (1972–1975)
- Fr. Ronald Warren (1975–1978)
- Fr. David Hazen (1978–1981)
- Fr. Patrick McNamee (1981–1989)
- Fr. Joseph Black (1989–2003)
- Fr. Charles Zach (2003–2009)
- Fr. Thomas Layton (2009–2011)
- Fr. Mariano 'Maro' Escano (2011–2014)
- Fr. Charles E. Holden (2014–present per joinmychurch listing)
- Rev. Edgar Rivera — current pastor per the official website
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
St. Rose of Lima celebrates Mass on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, with a Wednesday Holy Hour that includes the Rosary and the opportunity for Confession. The full weekend and weekday schedule for both linked parishes is published on the parishes' website.
- Sunday Mass at St. Rose: 8:30 AM (English)
- Wednesday Daily Mass at St. Rose: 5:30 PM (English)
- Saturday Vigil at St. Helen: 5:00 PM
- Sunday Masses at St. Helen: 10:30 AM (English) and 12:30 PM (Spanish)
- Weekday Masses at St. Helen: Tuesday–Friday 8:30 AM (English) and Tuesday 7:00 PM (Spanish)
Parish Events & Community Life
Beyond the regular schedule, St. Rose of Lima hosts community events that bring parishioners together, including the much-loved Bingo Night at St. Rose. The parishes' website also lists the monthly St. Helen Pastoral Council meeting and other faith-based gatherings.
- Bingo Night at St. Rose (e.g., Saturday June 22 at 6:30 PM as advertised on the parishes' homepage)
- Monthly St. Helen Pastoral Council meeting
- Weekly Eucharistic Adoration (Wed at St. Rose; Fri at St. Helen)
- Daily readings posted in English and Spanish on the website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Lowell Blackburn1959-1967
First resident priest of the linked St. Helen community (served the Parishes of St. Helen & St. Rose of Lima as a unit from Junction City)
- Fr. Louis Rodakowski1967-1970
- Fr. Nicholas Deis1970-1972
- Fr. Earl Larsen1972-1975
- Fr. Ronald Warren1975-1978
- Fr. David Hazen1978-1981
- Fr. Patrick McNamee1981-1989
- Fr. Joseph Black1989-2003
- Fr. Charles Zach2003-2009
- Fr. Thomas Layton2009-2011
- Fr. Mariano 'Maro' Escano2011-2014
- Fr. Charles E. Holden2014-Present (per joinmychurch listing)
Listed as pastor in some directories; the parishes' current website lists Rev. Edgar Rivera as pastor
- Rev. Edgar Rivera (Edgar Eloy Rivera Torres)Present (per official website)
Current pastor of the Parishes of St. Helen & St. Rose of Lima