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Historical Hightlights of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
July 3, 1834  First petition by French Prairie settlers to Canada  for priests
November 24, 1838 Fr. Francis N. Blanchet and Fr. Modeste Demers, missionaries to Oregon Country arrive at Ft. Vancouver
January 6, 1839  First Mass in Oregon, St. Paul, St. Paul
December 1, 1843 Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon Territory  established 
July 31, 1844 Fr. Peter DeSmet, SJ, Jesuit priests and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur arrive in Astoria from Belgium
February 8, 1846 St. John Church, Oregon City, blessed and opened
May 24, 1846 St. Paul Church, St. Paul, cornerstone laid
July 24, 1846 Archdiocese of Oregon City established by Pope Pius IX.   Francis N. Blanchet appointed first Archbishop
December 24, 1851 First Christmas Midnight Mass in Portland, by 
Fr. James Croke
November 1, 1858 St. Joseph Church, Jacksonville, dedicated
October 21, 1859 Twelve Sisters of the Holy Names arrive in 
Portland to found school
January 17, 1861 St. Mary Church, Corvallis, dedicated
August 17, 1863 Fr. Leopold Dieleman begins plans for Salem Church and recruits Holy Names Sisters to establish school
May 10, 1867 Roseburg Mission begins, Fr. Thibau appointed 
by Archbishop Francis N. Blanchet
October 10, 1869 St. Vincent de Paul Society organized in 
Portland by Fr. Fierens
February 5, 1870 The Catholic Sentinel publishes its first issue
October 11, 1874 St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Astoria, dedicated
July 19, 1875 St. Vincent Hospital, Portland, dedicated. 
Mother Joseph and Sisters of Providence
December 20, 1880 Archbishop Charles John Seghers became second Archbishop of Oregon City
October 30, 1882 Benedictine Priests and Benedictine Sisters 
arrive in Oregon
August 12, 1883 St. Mary Church, Bandon, dedicated by 
Archbishop Seghers
February 1, 1885 Archbishop William Gross, CSsR, appointed 
third Archbishop of Oregon City
May 30, 1886  First Mass at St. Mary Church, Eugene
March 25, 1887  Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, Beaverton, founded
May 8, 1888  St. Monica, Coos Bay (formerly Marshfield), founded by Fr. Peter Beutgen
June 16, 1889  St. Mary's Home for Boys, Beaverton, cornerstone laid
July 29, 1893  St. Mary's Academy & College, Portland, received
State Charter.  First liberal arts college for women in Pacific N.W.
January 28, 1894 Holy Rosary Church, Portland, dedicated as 
Dominican Mission
October 11, 1896  St. Anne Church, Grants Pass, blessed.  Mass 
offered for first time
February 12, 1899  Archbishop Alexander Christie appointed fourth Archbishop of Oregon City
September 2, 1901  University of Portland blessed and dedicated by Archbishop Christie as "Columbia University"
November 9, 1922  Catholic Truth Society of Oregon established by Archbishop Christie
June 1, 1925  U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Oregon School Bill
February 19, 1926  Archbishop Edward D. Howard appointed the fifth Archbishop of Oregon City
September 26, 1928 Papal Decree changes the name of the Archdiocese of Oregon City to Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
September 12, 1933  Catholic Charities established
May 9, 1939 Dedication of Central Catholic High School 
March 1, 1955  Trappist Abbey of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 
Lafayette, founded
December 9, 1966 Archbishop Robert J. Dwyer appointed sixth 
Archbishop of Portland in Oregon
August 13, 1971 Vicariate for Spanish-speaking established by 
Archbishop Dwyer
January 22, 1974 Archbishop Cornelius M. Power appointed 
seventh Archbishop of Portland in Oregon
December 6, 1977  Kenneth D. Steiner and Paul E. Waldschmidt, CSC, appointed Auxiliary Bishops of Portland in Oregon
January 29, 1981  Southeast Asian Vicariate established by 
Archbishop Power
July 1, 1986  Archbishop William J. Levada appointed eighth 
Archbishop of Portland in Oregon
April 30, 1996 Archbishop Francis E. George, O.M.I., 
appointed ninth Archbishop of Portland in Oregon
July 24, 1996 150th Anniversary of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
October 28, 1997  Archbishop John G. Vlazny appointed tenth 
Archbishop of Portland in Oregon
December 24, 1999  Archbishop Vlazny opens Holy Year Door at 
St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to begin the Jubilee Holy Year 2000
June 25, 2000 Eucharist 2000, Feast of Corpus Christi
Archdiocesan celebration of Jubilee Year 2000

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