A BRIEF HISTORY OF SAINT PAUL PARISH
On July 3, 1834, French Canadian Catholics, many former employees of the Astor-Hunt fur traders and the Hudson Bay Company, sent a letter to Bishop Joseph Provencher, vicar general and auxiliary bishop to the Bishop of Quebec, at Red River (now the Archdiocese of Saint Boniface, Manitoba, Canada) with the help of Dr. John McLoughlin, chief factor of the Hudson Bay Company at Fort Vancouver (Washington), asking for a priest to serve their needs. Hearing no reply, they sent a second letter on February 23, 1835.
On June 6, 1835, Bishop Provencher wrote Dr. McLoughlin that he had no priests to spare but that he would soon travel to Europe to see if he could obtain some priests for the Oregon Country. He also wrote a letter to the “families of the Wallamet Valley and beyond the Rockies” that he would send some to them and the Indian tribes to “bring the word of God to them.”
On February 28, 1836, at Bishop Provencher’s request, the Holy See granted an indult annexing the Oregon Country to the Vicariate Apostolic of Red River. When the Catholic settlers of French Prairie learned that they might get a priest, they built a small log church, 30 by 70 feet with a small room in back of the altar for the priest’s residence, at Fairfield, Oregon, at that time, one of the largest towns along the Willamette River. Dr. John McLoughlin had the log church dismantled, log by log, and brought up the Willamette to Saint Paul, safe from the Willamette River floods, and reassembled.
On April 17, 1838, Bishop Signay of Quebec appointed Father Francis Norbert Blanchet, vicar general of Quebec, with jurisdiction of the Oregon Country.
On January 6, 1839, Father Francis Blanchet offered Mass for the first time in what is now the State of Oregon, at the Saint Paul church in Saint Paul. He blessed the log church under the patronage of the Apostle, Saint Paul. During a 30-day mission in May, 1839, Father Blanchet blessed the ground for the first Catholic cemetery in the Pacific Northwest at Saint Paul (next to the Knights of Columbus Hall on Highway 219). On October 12, 1839, with the Hudson Bay restrictions for permanent residence removed, Father Blanchet took up permanent residence at Saint Paul, making Saint Paul the first Catholic parish in what is now the State of Oregon.
On October 17, 1843, Saint Joseph’s College for boys was opened with 30 boys enrolled as resident students in Saint Paul. It was the first Catholic school for boys in the Pacific Northwest. Father Antoine Langlois was placed in charge.
On September 9, 1844, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, brought to Oregon by the Jesuit missionary, Father Pierre DeSmet, SJ, opened the oldest Catholic school in Oregon. On December 1, 1843, Pope Gregory XVI established the Oregon Country as a vicariate, naming Father Blanchet as the vicar apostolic. On July 25, 1845, Father Francis Blanchet was consecrated bishop of the Oregon Vicariate at Saint James Cathedral in Montreal by Bishop Ignatius Bourget. The following year, on July 24, 1846, Pope Pius IX issued a papal brief establishing the Province of Oregon City, making Oregon City the second oldest archdiocese in the United States and Bishop Blanchet as its first archbishop. The name of the Oregon City archdiocese was changed to “Portland in Oregon,” by papal decree by Pope Pius XI on September 26, 1928.
Saint Paul parishioners built a new brick church in Saint Paul using 60 thousand bricks fired on the church site. It was dedicated on November 1, 1846. On September 19, 1847, Archbishop Blanchet ordained the first priest in the archdiocese at Saint Paul church, Father J. F. Jayol. On November 30, of the same year, he ordained Father Modest Demers, Bishop of Vancouver Island, Canada, at Saint Paul.
In March, 1852, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, were forced to close their school due to the mass migration of Oregon families to California as a result of the Gold Rush. Twelve Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary arrived in Oregon on October 21, 1859, and reopened the Saint Paul Catholic School on February 1, 1861. The “New” Catholic Cemetery (East of Saint Paul on Highway 219) was established in 1874. Archbishop Blanchet was buried there in 1883. Archbishop William Gross of Oregon City consecrated the Saint Paul church on May 25, 1898, the first church in Oregon to be consecrated.
On March 25, 1993, the “Mount Angel Earthquake” seriously damaged the Saint Paul church, although the altars and statues were not harmed nor did the church collapse considering the five-brick thick walls had no cement or mortar holding them together.
When the church was declared unsafe following the earthquake of March 25, 1993, the Parish and the Archdiocese agreed that it would be restored the same as before, due to its historic significance in the Pacific Northwest.
The walls were completely taken down in sections; only the roof and floor remained. The walls were replaced with concrete blocks reinforced with steel and were faced with the original bricks; the remainder of the bricks were sold and the money used in the reconstruction. Restrooms were added in the northwest corner of the church. The steeple was highly reinforced and the rooster atop re-gilded. A reconciliation room was added and the pews and floor were refinished. The stained glass windows were repaired and re-leaded, and a new sound system was installed, along with a new altar of sacrifice and lecterns. The area was landscaped and new blacktop and sidewalks were added.
Sunday Mass was celebrated from 1993 to 1995 in the Saint Paul Fire Department Hall and weekday Masses were celebrated in the former Key Bank in Saint Paul owned by parishioner Don Davidson. The church was re-dedicated on November 5, 1995 after the completion of its restoration.
Without the great response of the people of the Saint Paul Parish and our many friends in Christ, this enormous feat could not have been accomplished. Saint Paul parish celebrated its 175th Anniversary of the First Mass on January 5, 2014 with Archbishop Alexander K. Sample as the chief celebrant.
Msgr. Gregory Moys
June 2019
On June 6, 1835, Bishop Provencher wrote Dr. McLoughlin that he had no priests to spare but that he would soon travel to Europe to see if he could obtain some priests for the Oregon Country. He also wrote a letter to the “families of the Wallamet Valley and beyond the Rockies” that he would send some to them and the Indian tribes to “bring the word of God to them.”
On February 28, 1836, at Bishop Provencher’s request, the Holy See granted an indult annexing the Oregon Country to the Vicariate Apostolic of Red River. When the Catholic settlers of French Prairie learned that they might get a priest, they built a small log church, 30 by 70 feet with a small room in back of the altar for the priest’s residence, at Fairfield, Oregon, at that time, one of the largest towns along the Willamette River. Dr. John McLoughlin had the log church dismantled, log by log, and brought up the Willamette to Saint Paul, safe from the Willamette River floods, and reassembled.
On April 17, 1838, Bishop Signay of Quebec appointed Father Francis Norbert Blanchet, vicar general of Quebec, with jurisdiction of the Oregon Country.
On January 6, 1839, Father Francis Blanchet offered Mass for the first time in what is now the State of Oregon, at the Saint Paul church in Saint Paul. He blessed the log church under the patronage of the Apostle, Saint Paul. During a 30-day mission in May, 1839, Father Blanchet blessed the ground for the first Catholic cemetery in the Pacific Northwest at Saint Paul (next to the Knights of Columbus Hall on Highway 219). On October 12, 1839, with the Hudson Bay restrictions for permanent residence removed, Father Blanchet took up permanent residence at Saint Paul, making Saint Paul the first Catholic parish in what is now the State of Oregon.
On October 17, 1843, Saint Joseph’s College for boys was opened with 30 boys enrolled as resident students in Saint Paul. It was the first Catholic school for boys in the Pacific Northwest. Father Antoine Langlois was placed in charge.
On September 9, 1844, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, brought to Oregon by the Jesuit missionary, Father Pierre DeSmet, SJ, opened the oldest Catholic school in Oregon. On December 1, 1843, Pope Gregory XVI established the Oregon Country as a vicariate, naming Father Blanchet as the vicar apostolic. On July 25, 1845, Father Francis Blanchet was consecrated bishop of the Oregon Vicariate at Saint James Cathedral in Montreal by Bishop Ignatius Bourget. The following year, on July 24, 1846, Pope Pius IX issued a papal brief establishing the Province of Oregon City, making Oregon City the second oldest archdiocese in the United States and Bishop Blanchet as its first archbishop. The name of the Oregon City archdiocese was changed to “Portland in Oregon,” by papal decree by Pope Pius XI on September 26, 1928.
Saint Paul parishioners built a new brick church in Saint Paul using 60 thousand bricks fired on the church site. It was dedicated on November 1, 1846. On September 19, 1847, Archbishop Blanchet ordained the first priest in the archdiocese at Saint Paul church, Father J. F. Jayol. On November 30, of the same year, he ordained Father Modest Demers, Bishop of Vancouver Island, Canada, at Saint Paul.
In March, 1852, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, were forced to close their school due to the mass migration of Oregon families to California as a result of the Gold Rush. Twelve Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary arrived in Oregon on October 21, 1859, and reopened the Saint Paul Catholic School on February 1, 1861. The “New” Catholic Cemetery (East of Saint Paul on Highway 219) was established in 1874. Archbishop Blanchet was buried there in 1883. Archbishop William Gross of Oregon City consecrated the Saint Paul church on May 25, 1898, the first church in Oregon to be consecrated.
On March 25, 1993, the “Mount Angel Earthquake” seriously damaged the Saint Paul church, although the altars and statues were not harmed nor did the church collapse considering the five-brick thick walls had no cement or mortar holding them together.
When the church was declared unsafe following the earthquake of March 25, 1993, the Parish and the Archdiocese agreed that it would be restored the same as before, due to its historic significance in the Pacific Northwest.
The walls were completely taken down in sections; only the roof and floor remained. The walls were replaced with concrete blocks reinforced with steel and were faced with the original bricks; the remainder of the bricks were sold and the money used in the reconstruction. Restrooms were added in the northwest corner of the church. The steeple was highly reinforced and the rooster atop re-gilded. A reconciliation room was added and the pews and floor were refinished. The stained glass windows were repaired and re-leaded, and a new sound system was installed, along with a new altar of sacrifice and lecterns. The area was landscaped and new blacktop and sidewalks were added.
Sunday Mass was celebrated from 1993 to 1995 in the Saint Paul Fire Department Hall and weekday Masses were celebrated in the former Key Bank in Saint Paul owned by parishioner Don Davidson. The church was re-dedicated on November 5, 1995 after the completion of its restoration.
Without the great response of the people of the Saint Paul Parish and our many friends in Christ, this enormous feat could not have been accomplished. Saint Paul parish celebrated its 175th Anniversary of the First Mass on January 5, 2014 with Archbishop Alexander K. Sample as the chief celebrant.
Msgr. Gregory Moys
June 2019