Multnomah-Douglas County OR Archives Biographies.....Waitt, Rev. Warren A. January 5, 1879 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com January 12, 2011, 3:44 pm

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 636 - 639
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     REV. WARREN A. WAITT has filled the pastorate of St. Stephen's parish of 
Portland since its inception two decades ago, building the school and the 
church and in fact making all of the improvements that now adorn a once barren 
property. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 5, 1879, his parents 
being Daniel and Julia (D'Avignon) Waitt. The father was an active politician 
of Minneapolis, took a leading part in the public affairs of that city at an 
early period in its development and served as alderman for sixteen years.

     Warren A. Waitt obtained his early education in the public schools of his 
native city and continued his studies in the North Side high school, while 
subsequently he attended the University of Minnesota for a year. He began 
preparation for the priesthood in Laval University of Montreal, Canada, and 
following his graduation in 1903 entered St. Paul Seminary of Minnesota, where 
he was graduated and ordained in June, 1904. He then came direct to Portland 
and for the three succeeding years served as assistant pastor of St. Francis 
church under Father Black, after which he filled the pastorate of St. Joseph's 
church at Roseburg, Oregon, for fifteen months.

     Returning to Portland, he was made pastor of the newly created St. 
Stephen's parish, this being then a barren tract of land of an acre and a half 
on which no streets had been laid out or other improvements made. The property 
had been purchased by Archbishop Christie. Father Waitt held his first service 
in a public hall at the corner of Hawthorne and Marguerite streets and about 
one dozen families were in attendance. His first task was the establishment of 
a school and the erection of a building for that purpose was begun at 1236 
East Taylor street in the summer of 1908, the work rushed to completion and 
the school opened in the following fall. Church services were conducted on the 
second floor of the building. There were about sixty pupils in the beginning, 
and some idea of the growth of the parish may be gained from the fact that the 
number has increased to about three hundred and fifty. The erection of the 
present beautiful church edifice was begun in the fall of 1925 and completed 
the following spring at a cost of about ninety thousand dollars. The number of 
families in the parish has increased from twelve to more than one thousand.

     During all the years of his pastorate at St. Stephen's Father Waitt has 
taught in the parish school. In the fall of 1927 he opened a high school with 
ninety pupils, whom he has since instructed in stenography, commercial law, 
French, Spanish and sociology. There are four priests and four nuns in the 
high school, while the teaching staff of the grade school comprises six 
sisters. St. Stephen's church, modern in all of its appointments, has a 
seating capacity of seven hundred and fifty and has a splendid pipe organ. So 
large is the membership that five masses are required on Sunday. Two assistant 
priests aid Father Waitt in his pastoral duties.

Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/photos/bios/waitt1326gbs.jpg
File Size 134 Kb
File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/waitt1326gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/

File size: 3.8 Kb