Our Parish for the Week of March 17:
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and School, Salem
Adoration Chapel, Parking Lot Mass following the fire, and exterior of St. Joseph’s
Beginning on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, we are excited to feature Saint Joseph Catholic Church and School in Salem!
Hear about this wonderful parish from their pastor Fr. Jeff Meeuwsen, and Jill Wenger, Director of Development at Saint Joseph School.
Here’s a few things to know about the parish;
- Located in the heart of Salem, Saint Joseph’s is an historic church that dates back to 1853, six years before Oregon became a state.
- The mission of the parish is “in service of Jesus and the Universal Church, is to make our parish a Center of Catholic Life in the Valley, thus bringing forth God’s Love, Light, and Life, in order that all are invited to follow Him.
- On the morning of Saint Joseph’s Feast, the school had the celebration of Mass and a procession to honor Saint Joseph (pictured below, photo credit to Saint Joseph’s Facebook page).
School procession on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph
- On the night of Saint Joseph’s Feast, a multi-lingual Mass in honor of Saint Joseph’s feast was held followed by a procession and potluck.
- The parish is one of the largest Catholic Churches in the local area, and holds 9 Masses each weekend in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Latin.
- Since the devastating fire last summer that damaged the church, Mass and other parish activities have been held in the parish center and gym. Wonderful efforts been made to make these spaces suitable for worship while the church is repaired.
Saint Joseph Catholic School
About Saint Joseph School:
- Saint Joseph’s school is a fully-accredited Catholic preschool through eighth grade, founded in 1963 by the Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary. As a ministry of the parish, the school teaches the faith, traditions and culture of the Catholic Church as the cornerstone of a solid academic foundation and virtuous character formation.
- Join the community for the Around the World School Auction on Saturday, April 27!
- Saint Joseph’s School has a wide array of extra cirricular activities, including painting, Battle of the Books, choir, Geography Bee, American Heritage Girls and Trail Life, RC Challenge, sports, Student Government, and a talent show!
- St. Joseph Catholic School has adopted the Leader In Me program, which teaches leadership principles found in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People paired with Christian virtues. After morning prayer each day, students discuss how to incorporate these virtue and habits into their daily lives.
Upcoming Activities for Lent and Holy Week
- Stations on Fridays
- School stations with Exposition and Benediction
- 11:30 am at parish center
- 6 pm English stations in gym
- 6 pm Spanish station in Parish Center with Exposition and Benediction
- 7 pm Soup Supper
- Holy Week
- Tenebrae on Wednesday
- Multilingual Mass of the Lord’s Supper
- Good Friday Services in English and Spanish
- Bilingual Easter Vigil
Find out more through their website and over the air!