Lockley, Fred.  "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the
Sea." Vol. 3.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.  p. 363.
 
REV. GREGORY A. ROBLE, O. S. B.

     Rev. Gregory A. Roble, who has filled the pastorate of Sacred Heart parish
of Portland during the past quarter of a century, is a well loved and widely
known representative of the priesthood in northwestern Oregon. A native of
Germany, he was born near Regensburg, Bavaria, December 25, 1872, his parents
being Andrew and Margaret (Weber) Roble, the former a weaver by trade. He was
but two and a half years of age when his father and mother brought their family
to the United States, locating first at Saginaw, Michigan. In 1877 they removed
to a Catholic settlement called Ellinwood, near Great Bend, in Barton county,
Kansas, which had been established by Bishop Fink of Leavenworth, that state.
They became the first settlers in that part of the county and Andrew Roble there
followed farming with good success. John Roble, brother of Rev. G. A. Roble,
still resides on the old home place in the Sunflower state. Aloysius, another
brother of Father Roble of this review, settled in the Waldo hills at Sublimity,
Oregon, where both he and his wife passed away. A sister of Father Roble who
became a nun, known as Sister Veronica, at one time taught in the Sacred Heart
parish school of Portland. She died in 1900.
     Gregory A. Roble received his early education in parochial schools and was
a youth of thirteen when in 1888 he made his way to Mount Angel, Oregon, where
he was ordained to the priesthood on the 16th of December, 1899. He was the
first to be ordained by the late Archbishop Christie, who had come to Oregon
only a few months before. During the succeeding three years Father Roble was
director of the seminary and assistant instructor in the college at Mount Angel.
On the 3d of September, 1903, he was appointed pastor of Sacred Heart parish of
Portland, of which he has remained in charge through the intervening period of
twenty-five years.
    The Sacred Heart parish, which was formerly a part of St. Francis
congregation, was established as a separate parish June 16, 1893, Rev. J. L.
Bucholzer being the first pastor. For some time thereafter Mass was celebrated
in Mr. Vesely's house on Cora avenue and Milwaukie street. The property
purchased for the church site lay between Boise and Cora streets on Milwaukie
avenue. Here, in 1893, a large building was erected under the supervision of the
pastor. This structure served as church, school and residence. In those days
there were some ten Catholic families in the immediate vicinity, and the
boundaries of the new parish were southward to the city limits, north to
Division street, and on the east it had no definite limits. The river forms the
western boundary. Within all this territory there might have been some fifteen
Catholic families. This section of the country lay long neglected, nor war there
any considerable growth in the parish membership until the present church was
erected in 1901. In the fall of 1893, the chapter at Mount Angel, under the
presidency of the Very Rev. Prior Adelhelm Odermatt, O. S. B., purchased the
ground and building, and formally accepted the Sacred Heart parish with the
aforementioned limits. Stringency in money matters, as also bad times, made it
advisable that the Benedictine Fathers take over the establishment and relieve
the diocese of a serious burden. The Rev. Prior Adelhelm took charge of the
parish as the first regular pastor in November, 1893, and on December 24, it
being the fourth Sunday in Advent, Archbishop Gross blessed one room of the
house for chapel purposes. At that time about one hundred grown people and
eighteen children composed the entire parish. The zealous pastor, Prior
Adelhelm, opened a parish school February 1, 1894, with eighteen children and
closed it with an attendance of forty-five in the month of June. The Rev. Prior
Adelhelm acted as pastor of the parish till November 29, 1894. Thereupon the
Rev. Father Anselm Wachter, O. S. B., was assigned the parish, and kept it till
1897, when Rev. Father William, 0. S. B. succeeded him in that office till 1901,
when he, on the earnest request of the superior of the community, assumed the
duties of procurator of the monastery. Rev. Father William began the building of
the present church and had it almost completed when the Rev. Father Berchtold,
O. S. B., was entrusted with the care of souls of this parish. He completed the
church and remained pastor till September, 1903. His services were required at
the monastery to act as subprior, which office he discharged with much credit
until the death of Father Anselm, June 12, 1907. He then assumed charge of the
outlying missions attached to this parish. In September, 1903, the present
pastor, Father Gregory Roble, O. S. B., assumed the pleasant duties of a parish
priest in this community, and has ever since been active amongst his flock.
     In 1904, the church was furnished with new pews and a beautiful high altar
was designed and placed therein; the church was also decorated, and a charming
set of three bells was procured. All this was done at the expense of some
fifteen hundred dollars. New stations, which would be a credit to any church in
Portland, were secured at the cost of seven hundred dollars. A furnace was also
installed in the church, and thus the people of this parish possess a most
complete and devotion inspiring house of God; a monument to their generosity and
Christian faith, an example to their children and neighboring parishes. All the
funds were raised by voluntary donations, socials and entertainments. In the
year 1905, January 15, the cornerstone for a school-house was laid. It was
completed for the fall term, and could accommodate over two hundred children. It
was a solid frame building, thirty-six by sixty-four, with four class rooms. In
the year 1907, the young population of the congregation wanted to have a church
hall, and a building forty by eighty was erected and completely equipped for
hall purposes, with staging, chairs, scenery, and a beautiful curtain depicting
the battle of Port Arthur painted by Mr. J. Jenny. The entire cost of this
building was about two thousand dollars. All these funds were raised quietly and
all these improvements made without any new indebtedness. In fact, the parish
obligations are only nominal. There has been also a phenomenal increase in the
school and parishioners, and what seems to be most to the credit of this
community is that practically all the Catholic children attend the parish
school.
     The school is in charge of the Benedictine Sisters from Mount Angel, who do
most efficient work, and the standard of this school is inferior to none in the
state. The young men and young ladies have not been neglected. Various societies
have been formed for them. The Sacred Heart Club has made itself an enviable
name in its dramatic performances.
     In October, 1910, a new location for the parish buildings was bought from
the Oregon Washington railroad company, one block to the north of the present
parish holdings, and the old site was sold. The new property is a beautiful
location, lying somewhat higher and removed from Milwaukie street. The property
was secured at the price of ten thousand dollars, and comprises twelve lots. It
is bounded by Center and Bismarck streets, on East Eleventh. The rectory is a
two-story frame structure, and was erected for about eight thousand dollars. It
is handsome in its architectural design and a credit to the community. The
church was moved to the new place in the Benedictine Heights in June, 1911. The
erection of the new schoolhouse was started towards the end of May, 1911, and
its cornerstone was laid June 25, 1911, the Rt. Rev. Abbott Placidus
officiating. It has all the modern improvements, and is one of the best in the
city of Portland. It is built of hollow brick tile, and is most substantial. Its
dimensions are sixty by seventy-seven feet, two stories high with a full
basement. It will accommodate some four hundred and fifty pupils.
     On June 2, 1911, the League of the Sacred Heart was formally established,
and the promoters appointed. These are the societies, and this is the composite
life of a well regulated parish. All the various societies unite finally their
membership in the Sacred Heart and thence draw from the fount of unity, harmony
and fraternal charity. To all these societies the pastor acts as organizer,
guide and constant friend. In June, 1912, the erection of a large hall was
undertaken by the parish. The building is very spacious and suitable for all the
parish gatherings and social entertainments.
     Rev. John Cummisky, now pastor of St. Agatha's parish, and Rev. Martin, as
also Father Basil, later pastor of Tillamook, were active as assistants from the
year 1910 to the year 1914. All these did excellent work. In June, 1914, the
pastor, Father Gregory, took a trip abroad and visited various European
countries. By a special favor of Cardinal Serafini he had an opportunity of
being present at the coronation of Pope Leo XV in the Sistine chapel. He also
had an opportunity to observe the beginnings of the war from a close viewpoint.
     On October 20, 1913, the Sacred Heart Court of Foresters, No. 798, was
organized in this parish, and has ever been a most active and helpful factor in
the upbuilding of the parish, which now numbers more than two hundred and fifty
families. The parochial school has an attendance of two hundred and thirty-five
children, taught by six Benedictine Sisters. In the fall of 1928 the school
added a commercial course to its curriculum.
 
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2010 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.