On August 1, 1917, the Most Reverend Alexander Christi, Archbishop of Oregon City (now Portland, in Oregon), separated what would be the parishes of St. Anthony, Holy Family, and Our Lady of Sorrows from that of St. Ignatius.  Interestingly, our parish was originally named for St. Joseph, and Father Charles Smith was appointed  the first pastor.  However, before the actual dedication of the church building on February 10, 1918, the parish's name was changed to Our Lady of Sorrows, most likely to eliminate confusion with other parishes in the Archdiocese already named for St. Joseph.  The Holy Mass was celebrated in our church for the very first time on Christmas Day, 1917.

In June of 1918, Father George Fallu was appointed pastor, and he faithfully served the parish for over twenty years until he died.  Under his leadership, additional property was purchased for the construction of a school and parish hall.  On September 4, 1928, Our Lady of Sorrows School opened with an enrollment of 53 pupils and two Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon comprising the teaching staff.  In fact, part of the original school building was made up of six portable classrooms that had been purchased from the City of Portland, and it was rumored that Father Fallu bought them with his own money.

Following Father Fallu's death, Father Richard Carberry was appointed pastor. Unfortunately, Father Carberry did not get to serve the parish for very long before he was called into service as a military chaplain during World War II.  Sadly, he was captured during the war and, as a prisoner-of-war, died of abuse and neglect in the Pacific.

In 1941, after Father Carberry's departure, Father John J. Margraf, C.S.C., a priest of the Holy Cross, was appointed administrator.  Each week, Father Margraf prepared the parish bulletins himself, which did an excellent job of describing Our Lady of Sorrows at that time.  There was a thriving Altar Society, Holy Name Society, Mother's Club, Young Peoples' Club, and St. Vincent De Paul Society.  The parish celebrated its Silver Jubilee on August 16, 1942, with a solemn High Mass and dinner in the parish hall, and the parish debt was liquidated in June of 1944.  There were 360 registered families and 150 students enrolled in the school.  In June of 1949, enough money had been collected through fundraisers to purchase additional property.  The original convent (the yellow house) was moved across Knight Street to its current location to make room for the building of a new school.

Also in June of 1949, Father Richard L. Fall became pastor, and many changes and improvements were to be made under his leadership.  The church building underwent a massive remodeling in which the seating capacity was increased to between 300 and 350, and a new Sanctuary, Baptistry, and Sacristy were added on.  Interestingly, prior to this, the priests' residence had been attached to the back of the church.  This living space became the new Sanctuary and location of the High Altar.  Remodeling began in July and was completed in time for Christmas Masses in 1950.  When the debt for the rebuilt church was paid off in 1953, attention was turned to the building of a new school.  More property was purchased, including the present convent house, and the original convent became the parish office.  By 1954, the first unit of the new school was finished, and the convent rebuilt and enlarged by 1956.  When it's new building was completed and blessed in 1960, the parish school had eight grades and 327 students enrolled.
 

The Following is recorded in the June 10th, 1951 Sunday bulletin:

INTERESTING HISTORY: Our Church Bell (which should be re-hung) is more than something. It bears the inscription "Pauperes Evangilanzantur" and was made in London in 1850. "The poor shall have the gospel preached to them". This is fairly accurate history. It was sent to the missions in South America and was given to Archbishop Blanchet on his tour of begging there. It was hung and used in the little wooden Cathedral that had been built at 5^th and Couch and moved to 3^rd and Stark in 1854. That Church was torn down in 1878 and a new one built. In 1855 St. Patrick's was started as a mission of the Cathedral. Sometime after that the bell was moved to St. Patrick's,  and was used there for many years. Then the bell found it's way to Our lady of Sorrows sometime around 1918. Think of the countries it has travelled in...the decades of years it has called men to the worship of God....the thousands of people, Indians, and Spainards, and French, and Oregonians that it has reminded in its sharp staccato voice...."Lift your heart and mind to God—You were made for Him"

The 1950s and 60s continued to bring many changes to Our Lady of Sorrows with the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Adult Discussion Clubs, the Rosary Crusade, and more.  In 1972, Father John Ilg became pastor, and the School Board and Parish Council first began to organize.  Also, lay ministers were trained to serve at Mass, a soup kitchen began serving meals for the hungry on Sunday afternoons, and a house was purchased on the south corner of 54th and Knight Streets (known for many years as the "White House") to provide a more convenient place for parish meetings and small socials.  This house was later sold to help pay for the building costs of adding an administrative wing to the school.

By 1990, statistics gathered showed that 820 families were registered in the parish and 154 students enrolled in the school.  However, times had begun to change and increasing costs and changing demographics were bringing increasing financial difficulty on the parish school.

In 2004, Father Wayne Dawson was appointed administrator, and many of the parish buildings and facilities were rejuvenated.  The church once again underwent an extensive refurbishment with new carpeting, painting, lighting, new floors, etc., and the parish office, rectory, and convent were also renovated.  Unfortunately, the school's financial difficulties had continued to increase, combined with decreasing enrollment.  In July of 2007, after many attempts to try to save it, Our Lady of Sorrows School was closed just shy of the eightieth anniversary of its founding. In 2018, an all-school reunion was held in honor of its founding 90 years earlier.

Also in 2007, Father Ron Millican was appointed pastor, and began the daunting task of guiding Our Lady of Sorrows into a new era without the school.  Some additional improvements were done, including restoring the stained glass windows and the pews in the church, and transforming and beautifying the garden area on the east side of the church.  The parish offices were moved into the former school offices, and parts of the school building were rented out.  Also, in 2008, the convent was rented to the Franciscan Order as a home for their postulancy program.  Unfortunately, because of a restructuring within the Order, the Franciscans had to leave in 2012.  In 2014, the convent was once again rented, this time by the Archdiocese as a House of Discernment, a place where men of different ages could come and temporarily live in community to discern whether or not they have a call to the sacred priesthood.  The House of Discernment departed in August of 2019, and now the convent is rented as a private residence.
 
By 2016, statistics showed that Our Lady of Sorrows had about 400 registered families. The following year, 2017, the parish celebrated the 100^th anniversary of its founding with a solemn Mass in the church, followed by a champagne brunch in the gymnasium.  Father Ron Millican died unexpectedly in February 2019.
 
Today, Father Chrispine Otieno, a native of Kenya, is currently the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows, and our parish continues to be blessed with great life and diversity, while remaining strong in our Catholic identity.  In July of 2021, Sunstone Montessori School opened in our former school building. They bring added energy and vitality to our community, and we welcome their presence.

Hopefully, by the grace of God, we will continue to be a peaceful place of prayer and worship, a beacon to the Woodstock area of Southeast Portland, for many generations to come. 

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us and our parish.  Amen.