10/09/2026
Dear parishioners and larger Portland community,
First, let me express my gratitude for the prayers, dedication and support of Sacred Heart / St. Dominic parishioners and so many others during these last difficult months as we have worked to understand and address the significant building problems facing our parish church. Rather than respond to the difficult predicament we face by disengaging or lashing out in anger, parishioners have come together, working to prayerfully build consensus, care for one another, and chart a path forward that will safeguard the precious gift of faith we share. Seeing this faith in action has been inspiring, and I am honored to be your pastor.
Long before I arrived over five years ago, the precarious condition of Sacred Heart’s facility has been a concern. There have been multiple efforts over the last 50 years involving countless parishioners who have valiantly labored to preserve and protect our aging and deteriorating church. The many thousands raised and invested in the building during recent decades gave us additional time in this beautiful building for which we are grateful, but ultimately could not keep up with the pace of deterioration, which has only worsened over time.
Recognizing the situation, we came to the difficult but necessary decision to close Sacred Heart Church this fall. Following a thorough analysis of the serious structural and maintenance issues facing the building, our parish finance council and pastoral planning team of 15 parishioners representing our diverse community fully understand and support this decision. The significant estimated cost to address areas of failure in the building and to maintain a structure of such magnitude have simply become too great for our community of limited resources to bear.
My first responsibility and priority has been to care for the people of our parish. For this reason, our efforts to date have centered on ensuring the spiritual and sacramental life, community bonds, and charitable ministry of parishioners in the wake of our church’s closure. I am very grateful to St. Pius church for its generous offer to begin a new Sunday Mass at 11:15AM aimed at providing a home for the culture, language, and music from our 10:30AM Mass community. I’m also optimistic about the transition of the 1PM Spanish Mass to the Cathedral. Due to the tireless effort of its leadership and the generosity of Williston-Immanuel United Church, the Sacred Heart Food Pantry has critically been able to find a new home accessible to those in need who live in the Parkside community.
Over the coming months, the Sacred Heart / St. Dominic finance council and pastoral planning committee will continue to meet regularly, as we must now turn our attention to the future of our campus. While some realities are known to us, the future path for the building is far from certain. In good conscience, we must prayerfully explore all options and consider many, many factors in order to make the right decisions for our parish. Please keep these deliberations in your prayers, and please keep me and the many parishioners involved in this challenging work in your prayer. I will make sure to communicate to all of you throughout the coming months about where deliberations stand and about any decisions that are made. If you have any questions, ideas, or concerns, I encourage you reach out to parishioners who are on the finance and pastoral planning committees, or you can of course also reach out to me directly.
At 11AM on Sunday, October 25th, we will celebrate a final Mass at Sacred Heart Church. Bishop Ruggieri will celebrate the Mass, with myself, Fr. Paul, Fr. Sylvester, and other clergy concelebrating. This Mass will be a time for us to give thanks for the generations who built, worshipped, and served in our beloved church building, and to encourage one another as we work to live and share our precious faith for many years to come.
Bishop Ruggieri has noted: "A church building is sacred because of the generations of faithful people who have worshipped there, celebrated the sacraments there, and encountered Christ there. While we grieve the loss of a beloved place of worship, we also give thanks for the extraordinary legacy of faith that Sacred Heart Church has left in Portland. That legacy does not end with the closing of a building. It lives on in the people whose lives have been formed there and in the ministries that continue to serve our community."
Our faith in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, is a deep and vast well from which we can draw hope and strength during moments of struggle and loss. Just as the darkness of the tomb could not overwhelm the light of Christ, so neither should the closure of Sacred Heart / St. Dominic church overwhelm the beauty and goodness of God’s grace at work in us, his body. Please know of my prayers for all of you during this time. St. Dominic, pray for us. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us and grant us your peace.
Fr Seamus Griesbach
