Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Portland

Week of March 11:

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Portland

This week we feature Our Lady of Sorrows, a beacon of faith to the Woodstock area of Southeast Portland. Catch an interview with their pastor Fr. Chrispine Otieno below!

Mission of the Parish

  • Our Lady of Sorrows parish is a Catholic community of Christian believers devoted to the Holy Eucharist and called to proclaim the good news of Jesus through evangelization and outreach.
  • The parish lives out their mission by:
    • Ensuring proper liturgical worship, esp. Holy Mass and other opportunities for prayer such as the Divine Mercy, the Rosary, etc.
    • Draw people to devotion to Mary by praying the Rosary and Our Lady of Fatima devotion.
    • The parish is described as an urban parish with small town feel.
    • The image of the first Christian community in Acts 2:42 inspires Our Lady of Sorrows to be a community, a communion of brothers and sisters united mainly at the Breaking of the Bread and in their charity toward one another.
    • They therefore love social events like coffee and donuts every Sunday, annual volunteer appreciation events, and a Fall Bazaar which is both a fundraiser and a get together. This event is not about how much money they raise, but is focused on creating fraternity, meeting, and getting to know others.

    • Human promotion in the parish goes hand in hand with evangelization. Our Lady of Sorrows cares for the spiritual needs of the community, but also the physical needs. This includes Saint Vincent De Paul, guiding those who need healing due to addictions and unhealthy behaviors, offering Confessions, and parishioners leading Catholic in Recovery at nearby Sacred Heart Church.
    • Faith Formation for adults meets on Wednesdays at 7 pm and for youth Wednesdays at 5:30 pm. Children meet on Sundays at 9:45 am.
    • A Family Rosary is held on the 1st Friday of the month for parents with children.
    • While Our Lady of Sorrows no longer has a school of its own, the parish still supports Catholic education with tuition assistance to qualifying students in the community who attend nearby Catholic schools.
    • The parishioners practice stewardship through their offertory and contributing toward the maintenance of the facility.

Liturgy Schedule

  • Sunday Masses
  • Saturday at 5 pm
  • Sunday at 8:30 and 11 am
  • Tuesday at 12 pm (during Lent and Advent)
  • Wednesday through Friday at 12 pm Noon
  • Confession Saturdays 3:30 pm – 4.30 pm, or by appointment
  • Adoration Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 am – 3 pm
  • Holy Rosary – 30 minutes before each Mass

Special Events

  • Daily Mass added on Tuesday at 12pm during Lent and Advent
  • Quarterly healing Mass with Anointing at all the Masses (especially 2nd Sunday of Lent and second Sunday of Advent)
  • This is happening this upcoming weekend, March 15 & 16
  • Stations of the Cross every Friday at 6 pm followed by soup supper
  • On March 21 and April 11, the Stations will also include Benediction and Adoration
  • Lent Reconciliation Service on March 26 at 7 pm
  • Devotion to Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Fatima, on the Sunday after Easter
  • Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, and Italy with pastor Fr. Chrispine Otieno this October
  • Fall Bazaar

Parish History:

  • The parish is grateful for the 15 pastors of previous years, especially Fr. Charles Smith and Fr. George Fallu for laying the foundation of the parish.
  • Many parishioners dedicated their lives and resources to build the church and the school. Many of those who built the school are still part of the parish community, though older. The parish owes a debt of gratitude to these great men and women of faith. Tony Graham, Pastoral Assistant, shares that he is “glad that their grandchildren and great children continue their legacy as together we continue the ministry.”
  • On August 1, 1917, the Most Reverend Alexander Christi, Archbishop of Oregon City (now Portland, in Oregon), separated what would be the parishes of St. Anthony, Holy Family, and Our Lady of Sorrows from that of St. Ignatius. Interestingly, the parish was originally named for St. Joseph, and Father Charles Smith was appointed the first pastor.  However, before the actual dedication of the church building on February 10, 1918, the parish’s name was changed to Our Lady of Sorrows, most likely to eliminate confusion with other parishes in the Archdiocese already named for St. Joseph.  The Holy Mass was celebrated in the church for the very first time on Christmas Day, 1917.
  • In June of 1918, Father George Fallu was appointed pastor, and he faithfully served the parish for over twenty years until he died.  Under his leadership, additional property was purchased for the construction of a school and parish hall.
  • On September 4, 1928, Our Lady of Sorrows School opened with an enrollment of 53 pupils and two Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon comprising the teaching staff. The school ran for almost 80 years.

  • This bell at Our Lady of Sorrows bears the inscription “Pauperes Evangilanzantur” and was made in London in 1850. “The poor shall have the gospel preached to them.” It was sent to the missions in South America and was given to Archbishop Blanchet on his tour of begging there. It was hung and used in the little wooden Cathedral that had been built at 5th and Couch and moved to 3rd and Stark in 1854. That Church was torn down in 1878 and a new one built. In 1855 St. Patrick’s was started as a mission of the Cathedral. Sometime after that the bell was moved to St. Patrick’s,  and was used there for many years. Then the bell found its way to Our Lady of Sorrows sometime around 1918.

Find out more about the parish history and events at their website!