Living Church | Saint Sharbel Church | Portland, Oregon

by Antoinette Zeina

The small parish of St. Sharbel in Portland, Oregon, has become a home for Maronites in the Pacific Northwest since opening its doors in 1970. With the pastoral direction from Fr. Christopher Fabre, the parish of St. Sharbel is blessed to have dynamic families who continue to support this parish spiritually and materially.

In July 1970, Fr. Paul Mouawad, then a newly-ordained priest, established the first Maronite Church in his assigned mission territory of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The first Maronite Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother (popularly known as “The Grotto”) in Portland, Oregon. At the initiative of Archbishop Francis M. Zayek, the name of the mission was changed in 1971 from St. Maron to Blessed Sharbel (canonized on 9 October 1977).  The parish has the distinction of being the first Maronite parish in the United States entrusted to the patronage of this great Maronite hermit.

In 1974, the community purchased a church on Southeast 16th Avenue in Portland. The church building is in an historic, unique neighborhood on the east side of Portland. The neighborhood, called Ladd’s Addition, is laid out not in a rectilinear fashion but on an x-shape with a rotary on the middle. At each of the cardinal points, there is a large rose garden.  In the Spring, the scent of roses permeates the neighborhood in the city affectionately known as “Rose City.”   

The parish is “small but mighty,” according to current pastor Fr. Christopher, who has served the community since 2015.  After his ordination to the priesthood four years ago, Father Christopher succeeded Father Jonathan Decker who had devotedly served since 1993.  With close to 50 families currently making up the parish, Father Christopher works passionately to maintain the rich tradition of Maronite Catholicism in what is known as the “unchurched” Pacific Northwest.

Father Christopher proudly asserts, “We have families who have been involved since the very beginning when the parish opened its doors. We have stayed steady and strong through the many changes, up and downs. Portland is an interesting place to have a parish but we have maintained a strong presence here. That is best thing you can ask for.”

The duties as pastor of St. Sharbel go well beyond his own flock that Father Chris serves in Portland. St. Sharbel is the only Maronite parish in the tri-state region of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Accordingly, the parish and Father Christopher also serve the needs of Maronites in Washington and Idaho with baptisms, weddings and funerals. 

It takes a community of devoted and faithful parishioners to keep the doors of St. Sharbel open. Parishioner Nadia Redmond has been a member of St. Sharbel since she and her husband moved from southern California to Oregon in 1992. The early years as a parishioner were trying as the church in the late 80s and early 90s went through transition periods with several priests coming and going. The parishioners appealed to Archbishop Zayek to reinstate Father Decker, who as pastor would provide stability to the community. 

“I am proud of our parish,” Nadia said, “It was Father Decker who was the rock and now Father Chris is continuing to make the church stronger and stronger. It’s been a great journey.”

Organizations and fundraising teams work year-round to prepare for events that provide for the parish economically, socially and spiritually. A Ladies Guild comprised of women in the parish put on an annual dinner in the Fall that is the oldest parish tradition. In recent years, the parish reinstituted an annual Mother’s Day Hafli. In addition to annual events that bring the community together, a Lebanese Festival is held every July around the feast day of St. Sharbel. Months of preparation make the event one of the biggest fundraisers of the year that draws people from different backgrounds and from every corner of the historic Portland neighborhood. 

With a great youth presence in the parish, Redmond and her husband had a helping hand in bringing religious education back into the parish. Angel Scouts, the parish’s catechetical program for the youth, creates a vital learning experience for the Maronite youth in Portland. Although many children are homeschooled through Catholic homeschooling programs, the parish offers weekly classes that offer a curriculum of reading stories, prayer and, projects to teach children their faith. Living in a region where Catholicism is scarce, it is important to educate children.  This is the basis of hope for the future well-being of the parish.  

“They ask a lot of questions,” Redmond said. We are competing with the world we live in, but we do our best to keep them close to their Maronite roots.”

The future of St. Sharbel Church reflects the strong faith and devotion that the community and fellow Maronites around the country have for this parish. Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon constantly shows his support for the Maronite community in Portland and has made several visits for ordinations, bestowal of honors, and other significant community events.  The church recently completed a project to make its building more accessible with the installation of an elevator. Perhaps the most remarkable quality of this small parish in Portland is the ability to create a home of faith in a place where it is found least. 

The parishioners have built a home upon their faith—one that is firmly held together by its pastor and the solicitude of the beloved St. Sharbel.