VGI Updates

In April of 1911, St. Agatha Mission was established in the small village of Sellwood across the Willamette River from Portland. Mass was celebrated in the homes of Sellwood's Catholic residents. The parishioners met with Father John Cummisky, OSB, the pastor, and it was decided that a two story brick building would be built to serve as a school and chapel. A bungalow residence was built for the pastor adjoining the parish. On Thanksgiving Day, 1911, the new combined church and school building was dedicated.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, founded in 1885, was the "mother church" of the Catholic Volga Germans that settled in the Albina neighborhood of Portland. Its name was changed to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church to distinguish it from the St. Mary's parish that was located in downtown Portland.

Location:

2926 N. Williams Ave.
Portland, OR 97227-1628
503.287.3724

The St. Paul's Evangelical Church dates from early 1904 when it was founded with the leadership of the Reverend Jacob Hergert, a minister serving under the Evangelical Synod of North America. Meetings were first held in a rental hall on Union Avenue. The location chosen was the corner of NE 8th and Failing Streets where the present building still stands. The original building constitutes part of the present structure. The congregation and church were incorporated as "Die Deutsche Evangelische St. Paul's Kirche."

Lutheran missionary The Reverend Edward Doering arrived in Portland during the summer of 1881. He had been born in Saxony (Germany) on 12 June 1852. Rev. Doering founded Zion Lutheran Church on the west side of the Willamette River in downtown Portland in 1889 and Trinity Lutheran the following year. The new congregation was called "Trinity German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Albina." The following men were elected provisional officers: Ernest F. Kümpel, Alfred Kräft, George Rupprecht, elders; H. C. Schröder, treasurer; H. E. Dittrich, secretary.

Zion German Congregational Church was organized at the home of Conrad Helzer on 13 April 1914 by The Rev. John H. Hopp and a group of members from Ebenezer Congregational Church.

The Church Officers elected at this first meeting were:

John H. Krieger, Chairman
George Hinkel, Trustee
John Hohnstein, Trustee
William Lind, Trustee
Conrad Repp, Deacon
Peter Schnell, Deacon
George Weitz, Deacon
Henry Schwarz, Secretary
John Weber, Treasurer
Christina Schnell, Organist

Zion Lutheran Church was established in 1898. The first building was erected in 1900, two miles south of the Zion Lutheran Cemetery. It was enlarged and renovated in 1918. It served the congregation for 64 years. The present church building is located in the town of Hurley. It was moved there from south and west of Freeman. The congregation in Hurley and the one in Centerville are served by the same pastor.
Zion Lutheran Church in Hurley is affiliated with the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.

The Evangelical Lutheran Congregational Church in Endicott was organized in 1883.

Location:

Endicott, WA

Zion Lutheran Church was originally located northeast of Endicott. The congregation later moved into the town of Endicott.

Location:

SW Corner of Section 11
Township 17 N, Range 41 E
Whitman Co., Washington

Christ Lutheran Church was founded in 1901 to serve the German-Russian community in and around Odessa. The current church building was constructed in 1958.

Christ Lutheran Church was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but is now affiliated with the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.

Location:

602 East Amende Drive
PO Box 400
Odessa, WA 99159
Telephone: 509.982.2411

Emmaus Congregational Church was organized in 1904 under the leadership of The Rev. G. Graedel. It was located about 14 miles southwest of Odessa, Washington, on the Lincoln and Adams county line.

Location:

14 miles southwest of
Odessa, Washington