Archbishop John Vlazny leads a prayer at the site of the future St. Juan Diego Church.
Sentinel photo by Kim Nguyen
Ground was blessed last weekend to build a church for the first new Catholic parish in western Oregon in more than 25 years.
Archbishop John Vlazny celebrated the blessing and Mass with the people of St. Juan Diego Parish, who for six years have been worshiping in a rented gymnasium near the Portland-Beaverton line.
The celebration included a procession with the archbishop, the founding pastor, Father John Kerns and parishioners to a five-acre plot where construction of the church begins this summer.
In light of the gymnasium’s quintessential cream floor with blue, red, green and black stripes, basketball hoops, bleachers and steel-encased clocks and lights, there is a unique quality that encompasses it each Sunday morning thanks to dedicated parishioners who assemble the altar, unfold linens, light candles, sing in the choir and lead a children’s liturgy program.
“Congratulations on this marvelous achievement!” Archbishop Vlazny announced after an introduction by Father Kerns.
He reminded parishioners, in conclusion of his homily and in anticipation of the blessing, that God’s love is at the heart of a parish family.
“In a way, we’re not building a church. The church has already been built. You are the church. We are the body of Christ,” he said.
St. Juan Diego is the newest parish in the archdiocese since St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was established in 1982 in Aloha.
In 2002, Father Kerns was contemplating how to bring a community together. Today, St. Juan Diego Parish has 450 registered families. The bearded priest led a procession with Archbishop Vlazny, Deacons John Riherd and Dennis Desmarais, (and from the church of St. Pius X, Father Craig Boly) to five acres purchased in the early 1980s by the late Father Joseph M. McMahon, who was presiding at St. Pius X Church at the time and foresaw the need for another church given the area’s growth. This day, volunteers in orange vests directed traffic and guided people safely to the corner of 178th and Springville Road. Amid overgrown blackberry bushes and trees they found themselves on a wide and dusty trail made by parishioners the previous weekend.
The clearing, with dried leaves and twigs underfoot, was big enough for everyone to stand, pray, sing and witness the blessing as a cross stood in the distance as a point of reference for the future altar. The fourth and fifth grade students from the parish’s religious education program previously picked six trees, which were marked with signs and will be carved into pillars for the church. The trees are representative of the gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as well as St. Paul and the students who effectively are future pillars of our church. Following the blessing, with sentiment and gratitude, Archbishop Vlazny thanked Father Kerns for his leadership.
Phase I provides approximately 11,500 square feet including a sanctuary with pews for 450 people, a narthex, restrooms, sacristy room, reconciliation room and office space. The design accommodates upwards of 650 people and eventually, Phase II will include a community center and expand its capacity to 800 people. Father Kerns says it’s satisfying to see everything come to fruition as the parish embarks on building its home. Of all the decisions, small and big made over seven years and all the people within and outside the parish who’ve provided support he adds, “People really know each other and care about each other.”
