About St. Therese of the Child Jesus · Portland, Oregon
St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a Roman Catholic parish and school in the Glendoveer neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, part of the Archdiocese of Portland. The parish welcomes a diverse community of worshipers and serves families through its Pre-K through 8th-grade Catholic school, founded alongside the parish in the mid-1950s. Weekend and daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and a range of parish ministries (including a St. Vincent de Paul conference that serves local neighbors in need) all flow from the parish's stated mission to live the message of Jesus Christ through liturgy, prayer, sacraments, fellowship, education, service and outreach. The parish is currently shepherded by Father Gabriele M. White, OJSS, a member of the religious order known as the Work of Jesus the High Priest.
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (St. Therese of the Child Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Gabriele M. White, OJSS
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Why belong here
St. Therese offers a complete Catholic life in one location: daily and weekend Mass, weekday Eucharistic adoration, regular confession, a Pre-K through 8th-grade Catholic school, sacramental preparation for children and adults (including OCIA done jointly with nearby parishes), and a hands-on St. Vincent de Paul conference that feeds the poor and helps with rent and utilities within parish boundaries. The parish describes itself as a diverse, welcoming community shaped by 'reverent worship and faithful understanding,' where members help each other belong to the Kingdom of God through liturgy, prayer, sacraments, fellowship, education, service and outreach.
Mass times at St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays: 9:00 am
- Saturdays: 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
- First Saturday: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Adoration times
- Tuesday–Friday: 7:00 am – 8:00 am (immediately before the 8:30 am weekday Mass)
- Thursday: 9:00 am – 12:00 Noon (extended Holy Hour after weekday Mass)
Welcome & Parish Mission
St. Therese of the Child Jesus describes itself as 'a welcoming community of parishioners and school parents in the Glendoveer neighborhood' with 'a long history of worship and ministry, as well as educating and forming children in our pre-kindergarten through 8th grade Catholic school.' The parish's published mission statement reads: 'At St. Therese Parish, we strive to live and express our faith according to the true teachings of the Catholic Church, and to have everything that we do be inspired by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in accordance with God's Holy Will. Through reverent worship and faithful understanding, we live the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. We help each other belong to the Kingdom of God by sharing our faith through liturgy, prayer, sacraments, fellowship, education, service and outreach.'
- Slogan: 'A church and school serving the community. Join us in service to God, where all are welcome.'
- Parish is part of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Parish History
The parish was founded in 1954, when the Old Kronenberg Church in northeast Portland was split into three new parishes — St. Therese, St. Anne, and St. Joseph the Worker — by founding pastor Fr. Jerome Schmitz. The accompanying Catholic school opened in September 1955 and has operated continuously ever since. Over the decades religious Sisters have served as teachers and principals at various points, and the parish school has now graduated many students into local Catholic high schools and beyond.
- Founded: 1954 (parish); 1955 (school)
- Founder: Fr. Jerome Schmitz
- Sister schools originally: St. Anne and St. Joseph the Worker
- Mid-century modern church and school complex on NE 132nd Avenue
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Therese offers a full week of Masses in English, with the Rosary prayed before each Mass and Eucharistic adoration most mornings. A weekly All-School Mass on Wednesdays during the school year brings the parish and school communities together.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00 pm (Rosary at 4:30 pm)
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 am (Rosary at 9:30 am)
- Weekday Mass: Tuesday–Saturday at 8:30 am (Rosary at 8:00 am)
- All-School Mass: Wednesdays at 1:15 pm during the school year
- Holy Days of Obligation: 8:30 am and 6:00 pm
Our Pastor & Parish Staff
The parish is currently served by Father Gabriele M. White, OJSS, a priest of the religious order known as the Work of Jesus the High Priest, who was assigned to St. Therese by Archbishop Alexander Sample in November 2023. A small parish staff and school team support the work of the parish and school.
- Rev. Gabriele M. White, OJSS — Pastor
- Business Manager
- Music Director
- Development Director
- Head Sacristan: Jay Iv
- Admin Assistant: Nicole Herinckx
- Facilities Maintenance: James Wurzer
- Additional staff: Emily Bavaro, Carmel Delaney, Tammy Caito
- Office phone: 503-256-5850 • Fax: 503-253-3560
St. Therese Catholic School
St. Therese Catholic School is a parish-affiliated Pre-K through 8th-grade Catholic elementary school sharing the same campus at 1260 NE 132nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97230. The school opened in September 1955 in a modest two-classroom building and has grown over seventy years into a diverse community 'striving for academic excellence guided by our Catholic faith.' Religious Sisters have served as teachers and principals at various points throughout the school's history, and graduates typically go on to local Catholic high schools.
- Grades: Pre-K through 8th (includes all-day Kindergarten)
- Opened: September 1955
- Now in its seventh decade of operation (as of the 2025 school year)
- Phone: 503-256-5850 (shared with parish office)
- Pastors serve as canonical heads of the school
Sacramental Preparation
Sacramental preparation programs at St. Therese Parish begin in September of each year, with the exception of infant Baptism. The parish coordinates OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) jointly with nearby St. Henry and St. Joseph the Worker parishes. Children preparing for Confirmation are prepared in 6th and 7th grade at St. Therese School per the Archdiocese's request that youth be confirmed in 7th grade.
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) — Tuesdays, October through Easter; sign up via St. Henry's website indicating St. Therese as home parish
- Infant Baptism — for children up to age 7; parents attend a preparation class with Fr. Gabriele
- First Reconciliation / First Holy Communion — for ages 7–14; First Reconciliation in fall, First Communion in spring; register by September 15
- Confirmation — taught in 6th and 7th grade at St. Therese School; community service and out-of-class meetings in 7th grade; form due by end of September
- Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Funerals — by appointment through the parish office
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The most prominent parish ministry publicly described on the website is the parish's conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, an all-volunteer effort that serves the poor within parish boundaries through food boxes and rent/utility assistance. Other ministries — including a music ministry under the parish Music Director — support the liturgical and parish life.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul (parish conference) — food pantry, rent and utility assistance
- Volunteer opportunities: stocking shelves, packing food boxes, Saturday deliveries, driving, and confirming assistance requests
- Music Ministry — under the parish Music Director
- Parish Council — includes pastor and school principal as ex-officio members
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jerome Schmitz1954–
Founded St. Therese along with St. Anne and St. Joseph the Worker from the former Old Kronenberg Church
- Fr. Steve Geer
Former pastor; described in a 2011 parish visit as a late convert to Catholicism who, before entering the priesthood, had adopted and raised his nephew
- Rev. Gabriele M. White, OJSS2023–
Assigned to St. Therese by Archbishop Sample in November 2023, coming from St. Joseph the Worker parish