Name of Church St. James the Greater

Address 218 West 12th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660

Phone number (360) 693-3052

Website www.protocathedral.org

Mass times Saturday vigil, 5 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. (Vietnamese). Tuesday through Friday, 12:10 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. Mass is “ad orientem,” or “facing God,” as Fr. Harris says, and those receiving Communion have the option of standing or kneeling at the altar rail (most kneel).

Confessions Tuesday – Friday, 11 a.m. to noon. Saturday, 8 – 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Names of priests Fr. W.R. Harris, pastor. Fr. Harris a traditional priest, good humored and personable.

Music Choirs at the Masses; St. James is known for its beautiful music. The 9 a.m. Mass is sung in English; much of the 11 a.m. Mass is sung in Latin. Listen to the church’s music and watch videos of Mass in the church by visiting https://protocathedral.org/videos.

Special groups and activities Knights of Columbus, Mother of Perpetual Help devotion on Wednesdays, after 12:10 p.m. Mass, Alliance of the Two Hearts devotion on First Fridays, Historical Society, Protect Life Crusaders.

Parking The church has a lot, or you can park on the street for free on Sundays. There is metered parking on the street during the week.

Acoustics Excellent.

Cry room No, but the vestibule area is separated by glass.

Additional observations St. James the Greater is a historic church, built in 1884. It was the cathedral church of the Diocese of Nesqually, which would become the Archdiocese of Seattle. The bishop moved the See to Seattle in 1907, and it reverted to being a parish church. It was designated a “proto-cathedral,” or former cathedral, in 2013. It is a beautiful old church, with a traditional altar, statues, stained glass and chandelier. Take a guided tour of the proto-cathedral on the last Saturday of the Month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cathedral also has an 11-acre cemetery.