St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Salem

Our Parish for the Week of January 28:

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Salem

About the Parish

  • Mission of the Parish:
    • In the spirit of Saint Vincent de Paul, we, the faith community believe and proclaim among us, through the celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus Christ the risen Lord.
  • This is a Pilgrimage site for the Archdiocese during the Jubilee Year!
    • Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence, meaning the removal of all temporal punishment for sins already forgiven in Confession.
    • To receive the indulgence, Catholics should be in a state of grace, have detachment from sin, make a Confession, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the Holy Father’s intentions.
  • St. Vincent’s is celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2025!
  • The parish is also going on a Pilgrimage in September to Venice, Rome, Assisi, Loreto, and Lanciano with Pastor Rev. Manuel Becerra!
  • Parishioners are involved in a ministry promoting devotion to the Divine Mercy. The image of Divine Mercy travels between families, and each family receives a blessing from Father upon receiving the image.
  • St. Vincents is holding a special event focused on Divine Merch on March 8 from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 pm. Dr. Bryan Thatcher will speak extensively on this topic. Adoration, the Chaplet, and Confession will also be offered.

Regular Ministries

  • Youth Group
  • Sacramental Preparation
  • Liturgy Volunteers
  • Altar Society
  • Funeral Receptions
  • Knights of Columbus
  • Homebound Ministry
  • Coffee & Donuts

Liturgy Schedules

  • Mass
    • Saturday:
      • 5:00 PM
    • Sunday:
      • 8:00 AM
      • 10:00 AM Live Streaming
      • 12:00 PM Spanish Transmisión en vivo
      • 2:00 PM Spanish
      • 5:00 PM Last Sunday of the Month ONLY: Tagalog Mass for the parish’s active Filipino community
    • Daily Mass Schedule
      • Wednesday – Friday
      • 8:00 AM
  • Adoration
    • Friday:
    • 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
  • Confession Times
    • Saturday:
    • 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

History

  • Before 1925, there was only one Catholic Church in Salem – St. Joseph. Catholics who lived in the northern reaches of the Salem area belonged to the parish in Brooks from the 1880s until 1915, when their church was destroyed by fire. The Brooks parish was adjacent to Gervais, and after the fire, its parishioners returned to Gervais or St. Joseph’s.
  • The people of Salem long yearned for an additional parish. Archbishop Alexander Christie authorized the establishment of a new church in the Highland area of Salem in early 1925. He named Rev. Thomas Vincent Keenan as pastor, and the parish was named St. Vincent de Paul. The young priest purchased property and began construction on a combination church/school building. Initially the building also held living quarters for the pastor. The Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary began the operation of the school, and at least one member of their community was on the staff every year until 1999. The Sisters commuted from Sacred Heart Academy in downtown Salem until 1949, when the parish set up living quarters for them on campus.
  • The first organization in the parish – the Altar Society – was organized three weeks after the naming of the parish. The church/school cornerstone was laid in July 1925, and the parish celebrated its first Mass on September 27, 1925. The original parish register consisted of 80 families.  By 1967, the total had reached about 1,000, and a new church community, St. Edward in Keizer, was formed from the northern part of the parish.

  • The pastor supervised the construction of a new rectory in 1940. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the school built additional classrooms. The enrollment reached a peak of about 800 in the early 1960s. A new gymnasium was used as a larger temporary church from 1948 to 1960. A convent was built for the Sisters in 1953, and the present permanent church was completed and dedicated on February 1, 1960.
  •  Archbishop Edward D. Howard became our shepherd shortly after the first church was dedicated. He consecrated the permanent church, as well as the temporary one in the gym. After his retirement, the parish has been under the diocesan leadership of Archbishops Dwyer, Power, Levada, George, Vlazny and the current Archbishop Alexander Sample.
  • In the early 1990s, the parish purchased a separate residence for the pastor.  The Sisters moved out of the convent, since there were only two or three remaining. In 2001, the former convent was sold, and is being used as a neighborhood resource center. A parish renovation project was completed in early 2003.  It includes some church alterations and an attached office building, with meeting rooms, youth center and additional storage.

Learn more about the parish on their website!