Our Vision
Calling, Forming, and Sending Disciples to be salt and light in the City of Portland.
We dream of becoming a center of New Life in Christ that calls, forms, and sends disciples into the city of Portland. We are a prayerful, fraternal, and missionary community that lives, irradiates, and announces the transforming power of Christ. St. Michael is a parish of the Archdiocese of Portland under the care of the St. John Society.
CALL
St. Michael’s wants to be a great entrance door into the Church, where the outsider can easily become an insider. We welcome all types of spiritual seekers and provide experiences for them to explore and deepen the faith. We are a community that reaches out and evangelizes.
FORM
We want to lead people to spiritual maturity in Christ, through prayer services that enkindle hearts and manifest God’s power, in the context of a community with Eucharistic fervor and reverence. We offer programs of intellectual formation that are relevant, evangelical, and applicable to daily life. We also develop programs of evangelization for college students, young adults, professionals and young families. In all our programs and activities we seek to create a community of friends in Christ, where each one is known and loved, to which it is easy to invite others: “Come and see.”
SEND
We believe that when you live in Christ you begin to bear fruit. You begin to irradiate and announce the new life of Christ through mercy, mission, and ministry. We do that through our practice of the Works of Mercy and love for the poor and marginalized, through developing a culture of evangelism where friends invite friends and many become not just disciples but disciple-makers, where people share their gifts and talents in the service of the Gospel.
OUR HISTORY
The Heart of Portland
A few decades older than the city of Portland, Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church was initially founded to serve the Italian-speaking community in Portland. Located in downtown Portland and near the Willamette River, the parish has always been easily accessible by foot, car, and trolley (and now light-rail). With urban development and the closure of St. Lawrence Parish, St. Michael's became the territorial parish for the city's University and South Waterfront Districts. It is a parish of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, the second-oldest archdiocese in the United States.
Rooted in a common baptism and nourished by the Gospel and the Eucharist, this parish community is rich and diverse. People of many countries, educational backgrounds, ages, and economic backgrounds come from all over the Portland metro area to worship at this centrally located parish.
By the grace of God, and each member's service, this parish serves the poor at our door with food and welcome. With eagerness, this parish welcomes students from Portland State University through its Newman Center. With care for the visitor and stranger, this parish welcomes visitors from around the world. With gratitude for nearly 120 years of Catholic life, this parish looks forward to the next century of serving our community, with St. Michael's buildings and ministries at the heart of secular and religious life in downtown Portland.
Our Parish Crest
The arms of our parish reflect its patron, its congregation, and its location. The red field alludes to our patron, St. Michael the Archangel. The cross patonce is associated with St. Michael in heraldry, and the flaming sword is the one held by the saint. The silver (white) crescent and three stars of six points are taken from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The stars were taken from the coat of arms of Pope Gregory XVI, who established the archdiocese. The crescent is a symbol of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the titular patron of Portland's cathedral and of the United States of America.
The tinctures (colors) of the field are gold, red, green, and white. Gold is often associated with divinity, and church is where people encounter God. Red, white, and green are the Italian national colors. This honors the heritage of this Italian national parish.
Parish Staff
Father Ignacio Llorente
Pastor
Fr. Ignacio Llorente was born in Seville, Spain, and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 2009. He is a member of the Saint John Society, a society of apostolic life dedicated to the new evangelization. Fr. Ignacio holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from UCEMA, a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from UNSTA, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Mount Angel Seminary. He is currently pursuing a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, MI. He led campus ministry at the Newman Center at Oregon State University from 2009 to 2012, was pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Portland, OR, from 2012 to 2014, and was pastor at St. Mary Parish in Corvallis, OR, from 2014 to 2018. He became the pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church in October 2018.
Sr. Teresa Harrell SdM
Liturgy and Spirituality Coordinator
A native of Portland, Oregon, Sr. Teresa entered the Catholic Church in 2002 in Corvallis, after having a powerful encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. She entered the Society of Mary in January 2008 in Córdoba, Argentina, made her first consecration on December 8, 2010, and professed final vows on December 9, 2017. Together with the other sisters in the society, she has worked to evangelize high school students, college students, adults, and the marginalized, in Corvallis, in Argentina, and now in Portland, where she served as campus minister at the PDX Newman Center for 8 years before moving into parish ministry. She earned a B.S. in English from Corban University, an M.A. in English from Oregon State University, studied philosophy through the Centro de Estudios John Henry Newman in Argentina, and an M.A. in theology through Franciscan University.
Danielle Cooper
Works of Mercy Coordinator
Danielle has been involved with the Saint John Society since their early days at St. Patrick’s church, having first encountered them through the Alpha program. She graduated with an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and spent 20 years in the business world. But her heart was with the poor, and so she transitioned to a role as housing specialist & case manager in various Portland shelters. She feels blessed to bring her business acumen, social services experience and love for Jesus to this role for St. Michael's parish.
Email: worksofmercy@stmichaelportland.org
Brooke Ryan
Faith Formation Coordinator
Happily Protestant, Brooke encountered the St. John Society through her son, who was involved with the OSU Newman Center. Endeavoring to understand his interest in Catholicism she began reading the Church Fathers and the mystics, and after three years realized all her favorite authors were Catholics. She has been involved with St. Michael for several years through the Alpha, RCIA and Theology Night programs. Having retired from the practice of medicine, she's now pursuing a Masters in Theology through the Augustine Institute.
Email: rcia@stmichaelportland.org
Jerri Schultz
Office Manager
Jerri came to Saint Michael's in December 2000, where she fell in love with the gardens and Michael the church cat. A transplant from northern Indiana, she appreciates the evergreen and ever-blooming nature of Portland. "I miss the thunderstorms, fireflies, and Eastern blue jays of Indiana," she says. "Yet, the mild year-round weather here suits me better. And I'd never see an eagle on my walk to the grocery store back home!"
Email: officemanager@stmichaelportland.org
Greg Sherwood
Alpha and Adult Confirmation Coordinator
Before coming into the Catholic faith in 2017 and joining the parish at St. Michael’s in Portland, Greg was involved with many evangelical ministries serving youth and young adults for nearly 40 years. He is currently attending St. Vincent Benedictine Seminary and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Spiritual Direction and Theology. He serves as the rector at St. Michael’s Alpha program, teaches RCIA and helps as a retreat speaker with the St. John’ Society Newman Center serving college students. In 2001, he founded Mentors360, a college and young professional ministry connecting one generation to the next in the areas of professional development, personal growth and spiritual formation. He’s coached youth sports for 20 years. Greg’s has been married to his high school sweetheart, Debbie, since 1983. They have 5 children and 6 grandchildren. He’s recently retired from the investment industry after 35 years.
Mercy Missionaries
Mercy Missionaries is a year of service for young adults (22-28) that forms life-long disciples through outreach to the homeless, formation in spiritual life, and intentional community life. It is an experience that shapes your heart for the rest of your lives! Mercy Missionaries is a ministry of the Hope for the City program and sponsored by St. Michael Parish.
Location
Church Location and Mailing Address
424 Southwest Mill Street
Portland, Oregon 97201
Phone: 503.228.8629
Fax: 503.827.7689
Office Hours
Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Contact Us
Please fill out the form below, and a staff member will contact you.
Parish Registration
Are you new to our parish?
Welcome to Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon. We hope that you will be an active member. Please fill out this registration form, and the next time you're at Mass, introduce yourself to the priest so he can sign it to complete the process.
