St. Charles Parish was established in 1913 by Archbishop Christie in response to the population growth of East Portland. The first resident pastor was Fr. George Sniderhorn who came in 1915. In 1916, the first church was built at the corner of NE 33rd and Webster Street. The next pastor was Fr. J.P. O’Flynn who came in 1917. He was succeeded by Fr. John A. Moran and then Fr. Michael Wallace in 1920. A disastrous fire in 1924 did much damage to the church interior and the parish operated under financial difficulties.

In 1950, Fr. John R. Laidlaw became pastor and was given the task of establishing a school. Accordingly, a five-acre tract of land at NE 42nd and Emerson Street was purchased. The Sisters of the Holy Child were persuaded to staff the school and a building program was begun. The school opened in September 1950 with four grades in two rooms, and an enrollment of 77 children. Over the years in response to growth, additions to the school were built, as well as a convent. In 1954, Fr. Laidlaw built the present-day church designed in the style of California mission churches. Stained glass windows were a later addition.

When Fr. Robert Krueger arrived in 1973, he set out to cut budget deficits and to implement the directives of Vatican II. He formed a Parish Council to assist in the many administrative details developed an all-lay staff to head various programs such as the RCIA. When he was reassigned to Medford in 1981, the associate pastor, Fr. Rick Paperini, became administrator and then pastor in 1982. Under his guidance, programs such as Sacramental Preparation and RCIA developed even more. He also undertook the difficult decision to merge St. Charles School with St. Rose School as Archbishop Howard School so that quality Catholic education might continue. It was also during his tenure that a new parish center was built after the parish rectory burned in 1984.

In 1988, Fr. Jack Mosbrucker became pastor. He saw the need for the parish to grow even more from a community of people who go to church to a people who are the church. Consequently, additional programs were established to emphasize the need for social justice and outreach to the world. The parish continued to be involved in the Portland Organizing Project, currently known as Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good (MACG), and the 42nd Avenue revitalization effort was initiated. The church was remodeled in 1995 in a style to draw the people together as a family around the Table of the Lord’s Word and Sacrament. The parish worked to become a relational community, and parishioners gathered in small groups to get to know one another’s stories. Small church communities were established to help people connect their faith and everyday lives.

When Fr. Kelly Vandehey arrived in 2000, further outreach was encouraged by Disciples in Mission, a three-year program of evangelization in action as well as words.

In 2002, Fr. Angelo Gomes, SFX, a missionary priest from Goa, India came to us. He  noted that St. Charles is a church rich and vibrant in ethnic and cultural diversity and formed a multi-cultural ministry to help nourish this diversity and guide the parish as it plans for the future.

Saint Charles Borromeo, our parish patron, was one of the outstanding figures in the period of reform on the Catholic Church in the years following the Protestant Reformation. He was born in 1538 of an aristocratic and wealthy family. Educated in Milan and Favia, he earned a doctorate in civil and canon law. When his uncle became Pope Pius IV in 1559, he was given many responsibilities including administration of the diocese of Milan, the position of Secretary of State to the Pope and a cardinal’s hat, even though he was not yet an ordained cleric.

He was a strong supporter of reopening the Council of Trent and on several occasions prevented its breakup. He was involved in the drafting of the Catechism of the Council, and contributed to the reform of the liturgical books and church music. Charles was profoundly affected by the death of his brother in 1562 which led to his ordination the following year and consecration as Bishop of Milan. One of his first acts was to convene a provincial council to promulgate the decrees of the Council of Trent.

As Archbishop, he adopted a simple lifestyle and gave much of his wealth to the poor. He was an energetic reformer; he made many visits to parishes, organized diocesan administration, established seminaries and founded a confraternity to teach Christian doctrine to children. It is interesting to note that his reforms were not welcomed by all; he was subject to an assassination attempt at one point and on another occasion his cathedral clergy refused to cooperate with him.

When a severe plague and famine befell Milan in 1576, he attempted to feed nearly 70,000 people daily, borrowing large sums of money to do so; this took years to repay. When the civil authorities fled the city, he remained, ministering to the sick and dying and helping those in need. Our stained glass windows on St. Charles’ life portray this event.

In 1583 he was appointed Apostolic Visitor to Switzerland to see to the affairs of the church there. All these pastoral events, however, wore him down and he died in 1584 at the age of 46 and was buried in the cathedral in Milan. He was canonized in 1610 and is the patron saint of bishops, catechists and seminarians.