St Mary Digital Parish Archive

A 160 year history of Catholicism in Corvallis, Oregon

Welcome to the St Mary Catholic Church digital parish archive!


Here you will find digitized images and photographs of physical assets chronicling our parish’s one-hundred-and-sixty-year history. This archive contains images of historic art, as well as photographs detailing the history of the church in Corvallis and the history of the Newman Center at Oregon State University. 

Fast Facts:

  1. The parish was founded February 17, 1861, just eight years after the first Catholic Mass was said in western Oregon. 

  2. There have been three different church buildings since 1861: the current building was dedicated in 1968. 

  3. The Newman Center at Oregon State University was founded in 1917 to serve the collegiate students of St Mary’s. 

About the Parish Archive:

Our parish archive holds a collection of documents and items pertaining to the history of the St. Marys. The Parish Council approved the establishment of St. Mary's Archives in December 1981. Gloria Amort, Catherine Brockamp, and Preston Onstad undertook the task of seeking materials relating to the parish at that time.

During Bishop Steiner's years as our pastor, the Archdiocese of Portland requested that all parishes compile a history of their existence. We give thanks to those who have helped in the past and are looking to involve more parish members in this ongoing project.

If you enjoy history, technology, and/or organization and are interested in contributing items to the archives, identifying pictures, recording items in the computer, sprucing up our pictorial history, or being present when the archives are open, please call the Parish Office to volunteer.