Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland
Encyclopedia
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon (Archidioecesis Portlandensis in Oregon) is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church
in the Pacific Northwest
region of the United States
. It encompasses the western part of the state of Oregon
, from the summit of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean
. The Archbishop of Portland serves as the Ordinary
of the archdiocese and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Portland whose suffragan dioceses cover the entire three states of Oregon
, Idaho
, & Montana
. The dioceses of the province include Baker
(eastern Oregon), Boise
(Idaho
), Helena
(western Montana
), and Great Falls-Billings
(eastern Montana
).
According to 2005 statistics provided by the archdiocese, it serves nearly 400,000 Catholics. There are 312 priests, 498 sisters, 124 parishes, and 24 missions in the archdiocese. There are 8,981 pupils in 42 parochial elementary schools, and 5,153 students in ten high schools. Nine hospitals served over 1.25 million patients.
derive from a July 3, 1834, petition by French Prairie
settlers to priests in Canada
. In response to this petition, missionary priests, Rev. Francis Xavier Norbert Blanchet and Rev. Modeste Demers
arrived at Fort Vancouver
on November 24, 1838. The first Mass was celebrated on January 6, 1839 at St. Paul
.
On December 1, 1843, the Vatican
established the Vicariate Apostolic
of the Oregon Territory
with Rev. Msgr. Blanchet as its first Vicar Apostolic. A Vicar Apostolic is a bishop in a territory which has not yet been organized as a diocese. The following year, Rev. Pierre-Jean DeSmet, S.J., and fellow priests and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
arrived in Astoria
from Belgium
.
On July 24, 1846, Pope Pius IX
divided the existing vicariate apostolic into three dioceses: Oregon City
(Oregonopolitanus); Walla Walla
(Valle Valliensis); and Vancouver Island
(Insula Vancouver). On July 29, 1850, the Diocese of Oregon City was elevated to an archdiocese with Archbishop Blanchet continuing to serve as its first archbishop.
Rapid growth in the Pacific Northwest
lead to the loss of territory of the Archdiocese of Oregon City from which the Vatican created the Vicariate Apostolic of Idaho
and Montana
on March 3, 1868, and the Diocese of Baker City on June 19, 1903.
The Archdiocese was renamed by the Vatican as Portland in Oregon
on September 26, 1928.
on July 6, 2004, hours before two abuse trials were set to begin. Portland became the first Catholic diocese to file for bankruptcy. An open letter to the archdiocese's parishioners explained the archbishop's motivation.
was an apostolic vicariate
, led by Francis Norbert Blanchet. Once established as an archdiocese, it was led by the following:
Archbishops of Oregon City:
Archbishops of Portland in Oregon:
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It encompasses the western part of the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, from the summit of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The Archbishop of Portland serves as the Ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
of the archdiocese and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Portland whose suffragan dioceses cover the entire three states of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, & Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. The dioceses of the province include Baker
Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker
The Diocese of Baker is a territorial division, or diocese, of the Roman Catholic Church in Eastern Oregon, United States...
(eastern Oregon), Boise
Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise
The Diocese of Boise is an ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in the northwestern U.S., encompassing the entire state of Idaho. It is led by a bishop who serves as pastor of the cathedral, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise...
(Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
), Helena
Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
The Diocese of Helena is the Catholic diocese for western Montana. It was erected from the year-old Vicarate of Montana on March 7, 1884, while Montana was still a territory. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Portland, which encompasses Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.For its first...
(western Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
), and Great Falls-Billings
Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings is the Catholic diocese of eastern Montana, established in 1904.Pope Pius X erected the "Diocese of Great Falls" on May 18, 1904, by dividing the Diocese of Helena, which previously comprised the entire state....
(eastern Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
).
According to 2005 statistics provided by the archdiocese, it serves nearly 400,000 Catholics. There are 312 priests, 498 sisters, 124 parishes, and 24 missions in the archdiocese. There are 8,981 pupils in 42 parochial elementary schools, and 5,153 students in ten high schools. Nine hospitals served over 1.25 million patients.
History
The origins of the Catholic Church in the Oregon CountryOregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
derive from a July 3, 1834, petition by French Prairie
French Prairie
French Prairie is a prairie located in Marion County, Oregon, United States, in the Willamette Valley between the Willamette River and the Pudding River, north of Salem...
settlers to priests in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In response to this petition, missionary priests, Rev. Francis Xavier Norbert Blanchet and Rev. Modeste Demers
Modeste Demers
Modeste Demers was a Roman Catholic Bishop and missionary in the Oregon Country. A native of Quebec, he traveled overland to the Pacific Northwest and preached in the Willamette Valley and later in what would become British Columbia.-Early life:...
arrived at Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
on November 24, 1838. The first Mass was celebrated on January 6, 1839 at St. Paul
St. Paul, Oregon
St. Paul is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It is named after the Saint Paul Mission founded by Archbishop François Norbert Blanchet, who arrived in the Oregon Territory in 1838 to minister to the Catholic inhabitants of French Prairie. The population was 354 at the 2000 census...
.
On December 1, 1843, the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
established the Vicariate Apostolic
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
of the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
with Rev. Msgr. Blanchet as its first Vicar Apostolic. A Vicar Apostolic is a bishop in a territory which has not yet been organized as a diocese. The following year, Rev. Pierre-Jean DeSmet, S.J., and fellow priests and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is the name of a Roman Catholic order of religious sisters, dedicated to providing education to the poor.The order was founded in Amiens in 1803, but the opposition of the local bishop to missions outside his diocese led to the moving of headquarters to then...
arrived in Astoria
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
On July 24, 1846, Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
divided the existing vicariate apostolic into three dioceses: Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
(Oregonopolitanus); Walla Walla
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
(Valle Valliensis); and Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
(Insula Vancouver). On July 29, 1850, the Diocese of Oregon City was elevated to an archdiocese with Archbishop Blanchet continuing to serve as its first archbishop.
Rapid growth in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
lead to the loss of territory of the Archdiocese of Oregon City from which the Vatican created the Vicariate Apostolic of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
on March 3, 1868, and the Diocese of Baker City on June 19, 1903.
The Archdiocese was renamed by the Vatican as Portland in Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
on September 26, 1928.
Historic parish churches
Historic parish churches in the archdiocese include:- St. Boniface ChurchSt. Boniface Church (Sublimity, Oregon)St. Boniface Church is a historic Roman Catholic church building in Sublimity, Oregon, United States. Built in 1889 in the Carpenter Gothic style of architecture, it is a massive six-bay wooden structure with lancet stained glass windows and a steep sloping roof. The cross-adorned steeple above its...
, Sublimity, Oregon, erected 1889; - St. Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Roman Catholic Church (Mount Angel, Oregon)St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, located in the city of Mt. Angel, Oregon, United States in Marion County, is a historic church built in 1912. The building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, a status it gained in 1976. The church contains 18 original stained-glass...
, Mount Angel, Oregon, erected 1912; - St. Paul Church, St. Paul, Oregon, erected 1846
Bankruptcy
The church's sex abuse scandal led the archdiocese to file for Chapter 11 reorganizationChapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
on July 6, 2004, hours before two abuse trials were set to begin. Portland became the first Catholic diocese to file for bankruptcy. An open letter to the archdiocese's parishioners explained the archbishop's motivation.
Archbishops
From 1843 to 1846, the Oregon CountryOregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
was an apostolic vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
, led by Francis Norbert Blanchet. Once established as an archdiocese, it was led by the following:
Archbishops of Oregon City:
- Francis Norbert Blanchet (1846–1880)
- Charles John SeghersCharles John SeghersCharles John Seghers was a Belgian clergyman and missionary bishop. He is considered to be the founder of the Alaska Mission.-Early years and formation:...
(1880–1884) - William Hickley Gross, C.SS.R.Congregation of the Most Holy RedeemerThe Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
(1885–1898) - Alexander ChristieAlexander Christie (bishop)Alexander Christie was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Vancouver Island and Archbishop of Oregon City ....
(1899–1925) - Edward Daniel HowardEdward Howard (bishop)Edward Daniel Howard was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Portland from 1926 to 1966.-Early life and education:...
(1926–1928)
Archbishops of Portland in Oregon:
- Edward Daniel Howard (1928–1966)
- Robert Joseph DwyerRobert Joseph DwyerRobert Joseph Dwyer was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Portland from 1966 to 1974, having previously served as Bishop of Reno .-Early life and education:...
(1966–1974) - Cornelius Michael Power (1974–1986)
- William Joseph Levada (1986–1995); appointed Archbishop of San Francisco, California
- Francis George, OMIMissionary Oblates of Mary ImmaculateThe Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
(1996–1997); appointed Archbishop of Chicago, Illinois - John George Vlazny (1997–)
High schools
- Blanchet Catholic SchoolBlanchet Catholic SchoolBlanchet Catholic School is a private Catholic high school and middle school in Salem, Oregon, United States.-History:Blanchet was founded in 1995 after the tradition of two former Catholic secondary schools in Salem, Sacred Heart Academy and Serra Catholic...
, Salem - Central Catholic High SchoolCentral Catholic High School (Portland, Oregon)Central Catholic High School is a co-educational, private high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. Central Catholic is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, and is the only archdiocesan high school in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland....
, Portland - De La Salle North Catholic High SchoolDe La Salle North Catholic High SchoolDe La Salle North High School is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland. The school is located in the recently acquired former Kenton Elementary school building previously owned by...
, Portland - Jesuit High School, Portland
- La Salle High School, Milwaukie
- Marist Catholic High School, Eugene
- Regis High SchoolRegis High School (Stayton, Oregon)Regis High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in Stayton, Oregon, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland. Regis High School is one of only two Catholic high schools in Marion County.-Academics:...
, Stayton - St. Mary's AcademySt. Mary's Academy (Portland, Oregon)St. Mary's Academy is a Roman Catholic high school located in Portland, Oregon. It was founded by twelve sisters from the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1859. It is an all-girls' school with approximately 630 students from all over northern Oregon and southwestern Washington...
, Portland - St. Mary's High School, Medford
- Valley Catholic SchoolValley Catholic SchoolValley Catholic School is a private Roman Catholic school in Beaverton, Oregon, United States.The school is owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Campus Schools.-History:...
, Beaverton
External links
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, including its bankruptcy proceedings
- Catholic Sentinel - official newspaper
- Committee of Parishioners in Western Oregon, formed to participate in the Archdiocese's bankruptcy case
- October 2005 update on the status of Chapter 11 reorganization
- Catholic Hierarchy.org - Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon