OREGON CITY COURIER-HERALD NEW YEAR NUMBER.
ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
St. John's Catholic Church was erected in
the year 1845 and blessed February 8, 1846.
It is, thus, the oldest of all Catholic churches
on the North Pacific Coast, and perhaps the
oldest of all denominational churches, when
considered as a house of worship, to the
present day, in its original completeness
and almost unimpaired state of preservation.
Judging from its dimensions and the mater
ial used in building it, one would naturally
be astonished on being informed that it cost
$25,000 to finish it.
St. John's Church, of Oregon City, can
justly be called the mother church of all
Catholic churches of the North Pacific
Coast. Its records, as kept by the late Most
Rev. N. F. Blanchet, contain manv interest
ing data as to the history of the parish.
That venerable and zealous missionary of
by-gone days has this to say:
"The town of Oregon City, having in-
Blanchet. on being promoted to the archi
episcopal dignity, took up his residence at
Oregon City, whence he, as well as his
successors in office, received, and still retain,
the title, 'Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Oregon City.'
"In 1859, Archbishop Blanchet removed to
Portland, then as yet a small but already
promising town. Before the appointment of
the present pastor, Rev. A. Hillebrand, in
1888, no less than 25 priests have had charge,
of St. John's Church, of whom there are liv
ing yet: Right Rev. Bishop A. Glorieux, of
Boise City. Idaho; Rev. P. Gibney, Port
land, and Rev. James Rauw, of St. Paul, Or.
"In February, 1896, the golden jubilee cf
the dedication of St. John's was celebrated
amidst a concourse of priests and people,
irrespective of creed, the late Archbishop W.
H. Gross preaching on this occasion a most
eloquent jubilee sermon.
l4: JpM'BW'l jlWIMHWWIWBf JWM WTfT
a.,.tc,; 1 1th ' t . in ' -'f .- .i.
ST. JOHN'S CHURCH
creased and requiring the presence of a
Catholic priest, Rev. Modeste Demers af
terwards Bishop of Vancouver Island went
there to reside in the Fall of 1843. He
rented a house from Mr. Pomroy at $10.00
a month, where he held divine service on
Sundays. He remained there until the Fall
of 1844. Rev. Father DeSmet arrived from
Europe by sea in the month of August, 1844,
with five Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
(Belgium), and seven Fathers of the Society
of Jesus (S. Y.), one of whom, Father F.
DeVos, took charge of Oregon City, whilst
Father Modeste Demers took charge of St.
Paul. During the absence of Vicar-General
Blanchet, who left for Europe in December,
1844, the churches of Oregon City and St.
Paul were built. The former was blessed
and opened for public worship February 8,
1846, by Rev. F. DeVos, G. Y. On the 6th
day of September, 1847, Rev. P. McCormick
took charge of Oregon City, and remained
there until 1850. The Sisters of Notre Daine
de Namur, who had arrived in Oregon City
in company with Father DeSmet, at first had
taken up their residenc in the presbytery
house at present occupied by the Ben. Sis
ters using the same also as a schoolhouse,
until the Spring of 1849, when they moved
to a new building, situate on a block below
the 'creek,' and donated by Dr. John Mc
Loughlin. They, afterwards, in 1853, left for
California. On December 22, 1848, N. F.
at Kamouraska, November 3 of the same
year. His father was a native of Ireland and
his mother, Angelique Fraser. of Scotch
descent and born in Canada. Of seven chil
dren, he was the second. He died at Oregon
City September 3, 1857, well fortified with
the rites of the Catholic Church, and waj
buried within the sacred enclosures of St.
John's churchyard. The humble monument
erected over his grave calls him 'The Pio
neer and Friend of Oregon,' and 'The
Founder of Oregon City.' R. I. P."
"The parish records show that from 1843
to 1901 about 285 marriages were solemnized
and more than 1,100 baptisms of infants and
adults, respectively, conferred. At present
the number of the faithful belonging to St.
John's Church is about 550.
"In 1886 St. John's Parochial School was
erected by Rev. James Rauw, and the Ven.
Benedictine Sisters placed in charge of it,
who to the present day perform their labori
ous work with zeal, earnestness and success,
equally admired by Catholics and non-Catholics.
In 1893 the present pastor, on ac
count of the increase of pupils, enlarged the
school, and at present there are on the reg
ister 100 pupils enrolled.
"Of all lay members of St. John's Church,
Dr. John McLoughlin has and always will
be held in the highest esteem by his co
religionists, having been the noblest bene
factor of St. John's Church, as testified by
Rev. F. DeVos, S. G., its first pastor. This
noble and self-sacrificing man calls forth the
admiration of Catholics not only, but non
Catholics, as shown by Mrs. Eva Emery
Dye, of Oregon City, in her beautiful chron
icle, 'McLoughlin and Old Oregon.' The
parish records show that Dr. John Mc
Loughlin was born of Catholic parents in
the parish of Riviere du Loup, Canada, Oc
tober 17, 1784, and received private baptism
on the day of his birth, the baptismal cere
monies being supplied by the parish priest
. A"' ' - '
L V
)rnr. , x
jbUC -In
Jo u. P J J '"'J :
ST. JOHN S PAROCHIAL SCHOOL.
A residence and study for the pastor of
St. John's Church is being built on the
church grounds which when completed will
be an elegantly appointed house and a valu
able addition to the church property.
REV. A. HILLEBRAND.
Native of Germany, came to Oregon in
September, 1885. He finished his course of
studies in Europe, where he frequented the
public schools until his 10th year, when he
entered a classical course of nine years. In
1880 he graduated, and for five years pur
sued his university studies, first at Minister,
Germany, where he studied philosophy,
philology and the various branches of the
ology; and then at Louvain, Belgium, at
the American College and Catholic Univers
ity. He was ordained at Louvain June 28,
1885, by the late Bishop of Vancouver City,
-1
r ;
: -."ii
i ;!
' ' "'A '
f
y ; . 'i.-iHMjmBfc. m nil ii iiifli 1 'Li 1 li-
Washington, A. Junger, and in August,
1885, he set sail for America, in company
with Bishop Junger. After his arrival in
Oregon, he was appointed missionary priest
of Grant, Crook, Lake, Malheur and Har
ney Counties. On July 4, 1888, he was ap
pointed by the late Archbishop Gross pastor
of St. John's Church, this city, where he
still performs that function.