Archdiocese Portland

Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

[OSV News @OSVNews]

In his pastoral letter, Archbishop Sample pointed to what he called a "watershed moment" in the Church, particularly in western Oregon, due to increased interest in the faith, particularly among youth.
https://t.co/4xDkzBGCBk

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

The Church is not another NGO. She is the Mystical Body of Christ, divinely founded and sent to make disciples of all nations.

Our good works and acts of charity belong to this mission. They express Christ’s love and bear witness to him as we lead others to him and his Church.

Let us proclaim Christ with humility and sincerity, with confidence in the Church he founded and renewed zeal for evangelization and the salvation of souls, all for the glory of God.

Pastoral Letter on Mission Renewal: https://t.co/18iuLNSRER

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

As the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the source and summit of Christian life, its reverent celebration is central to the Church’s mission of evangelization.

In my recent Pastoral Letter on Mission Renewal, I call upon my brother priests in our archdiocese to celebrate the sacred liturgy with renewed reverence and fidelity to the Church’s liturgical norms.

The ars celebrandi, the art of celebrating, must give outward expression to what the Mass truly is: Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross made sacramentally present upon the altar.

Through his prayerful and reverent demeanor, the priest should help the faithful recognize this sacred reality and participate more deeply in the transcendent mystery of the Mass.

A beautiful and reverent celebration is itself a form of catechesis, bearing witness to the faithful and visitors alike that we stand before a mystery worthy of our deepest love and adoration.

Read the pastoral letter here: https://t.co/i1FKaAxB1d

Archdiocesan Liturgical Handbook: https://t.co/VzXNL7ZVkK

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

Memorial of the holy Guardian Angels: they were primarily called to contemplate in splendor the face of God, and were also sent by the Lord to men, in order to stand by and assist them, with their invisible but ever-watchful presence.

Holy Guardian Angels, pray for us!

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”
A PASTORAL LETTER ON MISSION RENEWAL

Today, October 1, on the Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, I am pleased to share my new pastoral letter, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

I call the ordained and lay faithful of Western Oregon to deepen their prayer and sacramental life, celebrate the Sacred Liturgy reverently, and personally serve the poor and those in need—all so that we may bring others to Jesus Christ.

I also call for a renewal of our Catholic schools and parish faith formation programs, strengthening their Catholic identity in partnership with parents as the primary educators of their children.

Please prayerfully read the letter and consider how the Lord is calling you to share the Gospel in your daily life.

May St. Thérèse, patroness of the missions, intercede for us.

Read: https://t.co/18iuLNSRER

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

Serenity and joy can be found even amidst suffering, because God grants us the grace to look beyond our earthly horizon towards a more distant future of immeasurable happiness in God, which we are assured of attaining if we remain steadfast in faith and charity. The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed in us (Rm 8:18). #ApostolicJourney #France https://t.co/2IzYe8OTyE

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."

Matthew 16:18

[Archdiocese Portland @archdpdx]

Two of our seminarians, Mauricio Duran and Josiah Dauvin, recently had the honor of meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. They are among 33 men currently in priestly formation for the Archdiocese of Portland and have recently begun their studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

Today we celebrate the birth of a little girl who would be called to become the Mother of her Creator, the Mother of God. Yet, she is born simply as a little girl, like the daughters and granddaughters we hold in our arms. We bestow upon her the most exalted and noble titles, such as Our Lady and Queen, but God’s way was and remains simpler and quieter, yet no less powerful and transformative. It is the way of Jesus Himself. #NativityOfMary

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

Three years ago, almost to the day, a devastating fire severely damaged St. Joseph’s Church, just a few minutes’ walk from the Oregon State Capitol.

In the years since, the parish continued to celebrate Mass in the school gym, receive the sacraments, and carry on its life together while the church was rebuilt.

On Monday evening, I had the privilege of returning to St. Joseph to solemnly dedicate the restored church and altar to Almighty God.

I am especially grateful to Fr. Jeff Meeuwsen for his steady leadership from the day of the fire through the long process of rebuilding, and to the parishioners whose generosity, patience, and commitment made this restoration possible.

St. Joseph is once again a beautiful house of worship in the heart of Salem. As I reminded the faithful Monday evening, we ourselves are the living stones of the Church. May this restored church strengthen the people of St. Joseph to bring the light, mercy, and truth of Jesus Christ to the people of Salem.

[Archdiocese Portland @archdpdx]

Archbishop Sample explains why Pope Benedict expanded access to the Traditional Latin Mass, sharing Benedict’s conviction that it remains an important point of reference for the Church’s future liturgical development.

Watch the full conversation: https://t.co/ddvBF8oq4Z

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

I continue to follow with deep concern the ongoing and escalating violence in the #HolyLand, where, in recent days, many civilians, both in the West Bank and in Gaza, have once again fallen victim. I make a heartfelt appeal for a return to negotiations to achieve a just political solution, founded on the equal dignity and equal rights of every human person. At the same time, I urge the rejection of further military actions and unilateral decisions, especially those that violate the respect for and the status quo of the holy places of every religion.

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

Let us #PrayTogether that in large cities often marked by anonymity and loneliness we find new ways to proclaim the Gospel, discovering creative paths to build community. #PrayerIntention @clicktopray_en
https://t.co/JEeOyIZuip

[Archdiocese Portland @archdpdx]

In light of the recent excommunications involving the Society of St. Pius X, Archbishop Alexander K. Sample discusses what it means to be in full communion with the Church, how Vatican II must be interpreted in continuity with Sacred Tradition rather than through a hermeneutic of rupture, why confusion followed the Council, and why Catholics cannot separate themselves from the authority of the Holy Father.

Watch: https://t.co/ndtBNx0tNy

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

The disunity of Christians remains one of the greatest scandals and wounds to the Body of Christ. Before His Passion, our Lord prayed to the Father "that they may all be one" (John 17:21), yet division continues to obscure the witness of the Gospel.

No individual or community separated from full communion with the Catholic Church has the authority to determine what is or is not authentically Catholic. Christ entrusted the safeguarding and authentic interpretation of the deposit of faith to the Church's Magisterium, exercised in communion with the Successor of St. Peter and the bishops united with him.

To be Catholic is to remain in full communion with the Church Christ founded, trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who preserves His Church in the truth through every age.

Let us pray for the restoration of full Christian unity, especially for the Society of St. Pius X, that full visible communion may be restored and all Christians may be one in the Church founded by Christ.

[Archdiocese Portland @archdpdx]

This week, Archbishop Sample celebrated the Rite of Candidacy for seminarian Stephen Coutcher. During the rite, Stephen publicly declared his intention to continue preparing for priestly ordination, and Archbishop Sample formally accepted his commitment on behalf of the Church. One of the Archdiocese of Portland’s 34 seminarians, Stephen will continue his priestly formation this fall at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California. Please pray for Stephen, for all our seminarians and all men discerning the priesthood, and that the Lord will raise up many more holy priests to serve His Church!

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

Archbishop Sample: "Migrants are used in a political game between two extremes."

Addressing one of the most contentious issues of our time, Archbishop Sample explains what the Catholic Church actually teaches about immigration.

Drawing on his pastoral experience with immigrant families, workers, and local communities, he explores both the inherent dignity of every human person and the legitimate right of nations to regulate their borders.

Reflecting on the Catechism, he also explains the responsibilities of nations to welcome those in genuine need, insofar as they are able, and of immigrants to respect the laws, culture, and heritage of the countries that receive them.

He challenges Christians to move beyond political polarization and allow the Gospel, not partisan ideology, to form their consciences.

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

Archbishop Sample discusses the migration crisis through the lens of Catholic teaching, which upholds both the dignity and rights of migrants and the rights of nations to regulate their borders. He also reflects on visits to migrant worker camps, where agricultural workers spent long days in the fields before returning each evening for catechism as they prepared to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

https://t.co/dJHjHyoJMQ

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

More than 5,000 Catholics filled the streets of downtown Portland for this year's Corpus Christi procession. Join me as I reflect on that powerful witness of faith, the lone attempt to disrupt the celebration, the ordination of our four newest priests, and the life of seminarian Tom Kloucek, who left a promising engineering career at Rolls-Royce to answer God's call to the priesthood.

Watch on YouTube: https://t.co/WbwrZiNqul

[Archbishop Sample @ArchbishpSample]

Archbishop Sample: “Christ is King, and His Kingdom we proclaim. Now is the time for renewal in this part of Christ’s vineyard. The mission entrusted to us by Christ is to proclaim the Gospel, the Good News of salvation. This is the mission of the Church.”

[ChurchPOP @Church_POP]

More than 5,000 Catholics representing a wide array of ethnic communities gathered on June 7 to accompany the Blessed Sacrament through Portland, Oregon—one of America's least religious cities—in a public act of devotion and a witness to the Church's perennial faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Preaching before the procession, Portland's Archbishop Alexander K. Sample emphasized Christ's kingship and the Church's mission to bring Him to the world.

Recalling a solemn rite he had celebrated only days earlier, the archbishop said:

"I told the ancient enemy, Satan, that this land does not belong to him. It belongs to Christ. And today we will take Jesus and proclaim Him our King. He is the Lord, the sovereign above all governments, and His kingdom we proclaim. As we carry Him through the streets, it symbolizes our call to bring Jesus to the people of our communities."

The Feast of Corpus Christi was also chosen by the archbishop for the consecration of western Oregon to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in union with the U.S. bishops' decision to consecrate the nation during the observance of America's 250th anniversary.

During the Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, Archbishop Sample consecrated western Oregon and its missionary renewal to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, entrusting to Him the renewal and unity of priests, the strengthening of Catholic education and faith formation, and the renewal of parishes through evangelization and care for the poor.

Joining the archbishop for the celebration were Portland’s Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith, more than 50 priests and deacons, dozens of religious brothers and sisters, and 150 altar servers.

The 2026 celebration marked only the second year that the cathedral parish's Corpus Christi procession had been organized as a wider archdiocesan event. More than 3,000 faithful participated in last year's procession during the Jubilee Year of Hope, helping reestablish the celebration as an annual gathering for Catholics throughout the Portland metropolitan area and beyond.

More at: https://t.co/D46B2rXreZ