Our Staff
Fr. Timothy Furlow - Pastor
Fr. Timothy Furlow was born in 1982 in Portland, Oregon. He attended elementary school at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Beaverton, Oregon and graduated from the A Beka Homeschool program in 2000. He attended the University of Portland from 2000-2002 before moving to Baku, Azerbaijan to teach English. In 2004, he began studies at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and Philosophy in 2007. That same year he began work as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Music Ministry at St. Cecilia’s Parish in Beaverton, OR, where he worked until entering Seminary in 2010.
Fr. Furlow entered Mount Angel Seminary in 2010 where he completed one year of theology courses before transferring in 2011 to the Pontifical North American College in Rome. There he completed a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in 2013 and a Licentiate in Moral Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2016. His pastoral ministry training has included assignments at St. John the Baptist Church in Milwaukie, Salvator Mundi Hospital in Rome, Saint Mary’s College (Rome), The Madeleine Parish in Portland, Tacoma General Hospital and Marymount International School (Rome). He was the Parochial Vicar at St. Mary's Cathedral in Portland, OR until July 2018 when he was made administrator of Portland’s oldest parish, St. Patrick Church.
Carolyn Estes - Church Operations Manager
Hailing from Rockford, Illinois, Carolyn's life journey has taken her through diverse landscapes, from Delaware to vibrant Arizona and the mountains of Colorado. Recently returning to Portland from scenic Utah. Carolyn brings a wealth of experiences and a connection to her faith, having been baptized at St. Peter's in Beloit, Wisconsin.
A proud alumna of Rock Valley College, Carolyn honed her skills on the basketball court as a college athlete, an experience that instilled in her the values of teamwork, dedication, and resilience. Her academic journey continued at Southern Illinois University, where she earned her BA degree, marking a significant milestone in her pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. In recent years, Carolyn has held Director positions at multiple Global Startups, and she is looking forward to a long and successful future here at St. Patrick's.
As a proud mother with a daughter attending the University of Oregon, Carolyn understands the importance of family and support. Her genuine enthusiasm for fostering positivity is a cornerstone of her character. She is dedicated to ensuring that every parishioner feels not just welcomed but embraced. Carolyn is particularly passionate about providing the necessary resources and support.
Mary Berger - Coordinator of Sacred Music
Mary grew up in the Seattle area, where she began studying piano at age 5. After earning a high school diploma from the National Guild of Piano Teachers, she continued her studies at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia. There she received a Bachelor of Arts in music, specializing in piano performance and collaborative piano/accompaniment, as well as a minor in Catholic Studies from Redeemer Pacific College.
Mary has been providing liturgical music for more than 15 years as an accompanist, singer, and director. She discovered her love for sacred music while at university through the process of rehearsing and performing Bach’s great masterpiece, the Mass in B Minor, with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Mary has sung with ensembles including Portland’s Cantores in Ecclesia, Blessed Sacrament Schola Cantorum, Trinity Western Chamber Singers, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Kiev Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and others. St. Patrick Church became her spiritual home in 2015, and she has served as organist, pianist, and cantor there since then.
James Moursund - Seminarian
Corvallis-native James Moursund was baptized Episcopalian and attended parochial elementary and middle school. Shortly after starting at Corvallis High School he determined to pursue music – specifically, choral conducting – as a career. Throughout high school he studied conducting, voice, and keyboard, and eventually earned degrees from Linn-Benton Community College, Oregon State University, and the University of Southern California. With the final term his graduate studies interrupted by the lockdown protocols, he searched nationwide for work and moved to Florida in 2020 to serve as music director for Saint Paul Catholic Church in Leesburg. In 2023 he made the decision to return to Oregon to be closer to his family, and now serves as seminarian in residency for Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Portland.
James considers himself blessed with a Christian upbringing and education. After a short interval of teenaged agnosticism, he responded to the Lord’s invitation to reaffirm belief in God, then in the Lord Jesus, and finally in the Church Jesus established. He was received as a Catholic at Easter Vigil, 2017. A lifetime of God’s mercy and the prompting of the Holy Spirit has led James to this point of formally discerning the priesthood of Jesus Christ. May the Lord’s will be done in all things.
