History
History of the School
St. Agatha Catholic School is a parish school in the historic
Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Currently,
the parish is made up of approximately 400 families. The
school has been serving kindergarten through eighth grade
students for 99 years, since its founding by Benedictine
Sisters from Sacred Heart Parish in 1912. St. Agatha was
founded as a Benedictine parish in 1911 when it broke away
from Sacred Heart Parish. On January 1, 1920, the
cornerstone of a new parish church was laid, and
Archbishop Christie dedicated the completed edifice on
October 3rd of the same year. It was the only church ever
built of Mt. Angel Abby tufa stone. The crucifix was hand
carved from native wood by Oregon artist, Esther Hult.
After continuous use for 84 years, the original building
became a safety concern. Inspections showed the building
to be out of compliance with modern fire and earthquake
codes. The city of Portland gave St. Agatha Parish the
ultimatum: bring the existing building up to code with
retrofit upgrades, build an entirely new facility, or close
the school.
The parish community met and decided to begin a Capital
Campaign to raise the funds needed for a new building
in 1997. Many said that this could not be accomplished
by a parish of only 400 families of modest income. However,
a small group of dedicated volunteers with the help of a part-time, contracted development director were able
to raise $3.5 million in four years.
Phase 1 of the construction, which included the classrooms, office area, and library, was completed in January
2003. Students and teachers moved from the old facility to the new school shortly after the holiday break.
The school and parish community worked together to move the entire school in three days. Over the three
days, nearly 200 volunteers worked diligently to help school staff settle into the new building.
After moving into the new school, Phase II of construction began on the gymnasium, cafeteria, and playground.
The original two-story brick building was torn down in order to make room for this phase of construction.
The playground and gymnasium continued to be under construction during the school year; however both
were completed by January 2004.
Original St. Agatha Catholic School circa 1928
Current St. Agatha Catholic School
Frequently used Forms at your
finger tips.
Our commitment to community
wide involvement.
Policies and procedures to keep children safe within the school.
Information on curriculum, teachers and programs.
Up-coming events & activities in the school and community.
Student, parent and community involvement.
Catholic Youth Organization sports community.
Photos of activities and events around the school.
© 2010 St. Agatha Catholic School
