Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

---

Bishop(s) John George Vlazny, Archbishop Kenneth Donald Steiner, Auxiliary Bishop Suffragan Dioceses Baker Boise City Great Falls-Billings Helena

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese Name Changed: 26 September 1928 Metropolitan See Rite: Latin (or Roman) State: Oregon Country: United States of America Square Kilometers: 76,937 (29,717 Square Miles) Conference Region: XII (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA) Catholic Directory Abbreviation: P Official Web Site: http://www.archdpdx.org/ Mailing Address: 2838 E. Burnside St., Portland, OR 97214-1895 Telephone: (503)234-5334 Fax: 234-2545

Historical Details

• Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon Territory
  • Erected: 1 December 1843
  • Vicariate
  • State: Oregon
  • Country: United States of America
  • Description: North of California to South of Alaska, Pacific Ocean to Rocky Mountains

• Diocese of Oregon City
  • Latin Name: Oregonopolitanus
  • Erected: 24 July 1846
  • State: Oregon
  • Country: United States of America

• Archdiocese of Oregon City
  • Latin Name: Oregonopolitanus
  • Elevated: 29 July 1850
  • State: Oregon
  • Country: United States of America
  • Square Miles: 21,398
  • Description: The Counties West of Wasco, Crook, and Klamath.

---

Past and Present Ordinaries

• Francis Xavier Norbert Blanchet † (1 Dec 1843 Appointed - 12 Dec 1880 Retired)
• Charles-Jean Seghers † (18 Dec 1880 Succeeded - 9 Mar 1884 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Vancouver Island)
• William Hickley Gross, C.SS.R. † (1 Feb 1885 Appointed - 14 Nov 1898 Died)
• Alexander Christie † (4 Mar 1899 Appointed - 6 Apr 1925 Died)
• Edward Daniel Howard † (30 Apr 1926 Appointed - 9 Dec 1966 Retired)
• Robert Joseph Dwyer † (9 Dec 1966 Appointed - 22 Jan 1974 Resigned)
• Cornelius Michael Power † (15 Jan 1974 Appointed - 1 Jul 1986 Retired)
• William Joseph Levada (1 Jul 1986 Appointed - 17 Aug 1995 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of San Francisco)
• Francis Eugene George, O.M.I. (30 Apr 1996 Appointed - 7 Apr 1997 Appointed, Archbishop of Chicago)
• John George Vlazny (28 Oct 1997 Appointed - )

---

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon Territory
1 December 1843	Erected	Diocese of Saint Louis	Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon Territory (erected)
24 July 1846	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon Territory	Diocese of Walla Walla (erected)
24 July 1846	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon Territory	Diocese of Vancouver Island (erected)
Diocese of Oregon City
24 July 1846	Erected	Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon Territory	Diocese of Oregon City (erected) (Name changed and Vicariate raised to a Diocese)
Archdiocese of Oregon City
29 July 1850	Elevated	Diocese of Oregon City	Archdiocese of Oregon City
3 March 1868	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Oregon City	Vicariate Apostolic of Idaho and Montana (erected)
19 June 1903	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Oregon City	Diocese of Baker City (erected)
Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
26 September 1928	Name Changed	Archdiocese of Oregon City	Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

---

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
1950	92,378	900,852	10.3%	125	156	281	328		160	776	140	ap1951
1966	197,856	1,685,800	11.7%	185	290	475	416		300	1,240	112	ap1967
1970		2,081,640	.0%	199	90	289	0		165	1,000	120	ap1971
1976	275,257	2,140,512	12.9%	204	237	441	624	1	324	661	125	ap1977
1980	294,952	2,195,800	13.4%	182	245	427	690	1	384	869	126	ap1981
1990	251,270	2,408,900	10.4%	155	229	384	654	6	327	687	125	ap1991
1999	289,951	2,799,200	10.4%	147	179	326	889	29	76	539	125	ap2000
2000	294,221	2,841,900	10.4%	165	182	347	847	30	293	542	124	ap2001
2001	297,841	2,869,750	10.4%	164	178	342	870	30	277	531	123	ap2002
2002	351,164	2,969,847	11.8%	165	181	346	1,014	30	282	529	125	ap2003
2003	356,037	3,010,800	11.8%	162	178	340	1,047	39	282	506	124	ap2004
2004	389,345	3,038,600	12.8%	166	170	336	1,158	39	293	487	124	ap2005

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

---

Affiliated Bishops

• Francis Xavier Norbert Blanchet † (Vicar Apostolic: 1 Dec 1843; Bishop: 24 Jul 1846; Archbishop: 29 Jul 1850 to 12 Dec 1880)
• Alexander Christie † (Archbishop: 4 Mar 1899 to 6 Apr 1925)
• Robert Joseph Dwyer † (Archbishop: 9 Dec 1966 to 22 Jan 1974)
• Francis Eugene George, O.M.I. (Archbishop: 30 Apr 1996 to 7 Apr 1997)
• William Hickley Gross, C.SS.R. † (Archbishop: 1 Feb 1885 to 14 Nov 1898)
• Edward Daniel Howard † (Archbishop: 30 Apr 1926 to 9 Dec 1966)
• Francis Peter Leipzig † (Priest: 17 Apr 1920 to 18 Jul 1950)
• William Joseph Levada (Archbishop: 1 Jul 1986 to 17 Aug 1995)
• Edward John O'Dea † (Priest: 23 Dec 1882 to 13 Jun 1896)
• Edwin Vincent O'Hara † (Priest: 9 Jun 1905 to 6 Aug 1930)
• Charles Joseph O'Reilly † (Priest: 29 Jun 1890 to 25 Jun 1903)
• Cornelius Michael Power † (Archbishop: 15 Jan 1974 to 1 Jul 1986)
• Charles-Jean Seghers † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 18 Sep 1878; Archbishop: 18 Dec 1880 to 9 Mar 1884)
• Kenneth Donald Steiner (Priest: 19 May 1962; Auxiliary Bishop: 28 Nov 1977)
• John George Vlazny (Archbishop: 28 Oct 1997 - )
• Paul Edward Waldschmidt, C.S.C. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 28 Nov 1977 to 8 Jan 1990)