Fr. Ted Prentice comes to St. Joseph the Worker from a varied and diverse background. Born in Portland, Oregon (1963) he was the middle of eight children. He attended Pope John XXIII Elementary School in North Portland and graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School. In 1985 he graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in mechanical engineering. From 1985 to 1998 he worked in this field in the Los Angeles area where he also served as a teaching assistant at a Catholic alternative high school. He traveled fairly extensively for his job and in doing so, attended mass at many Catholic parishes across the country. Wherever he went, he saw that people seemed to be comfortable and feel at home in their church. Thus inspired to a different calling, Fr. Ted entered Mt. Angel Seminary in 1998. As part of his ministerial training, he served as an elder visitor at Mount St. Joseph in Portland, a pastoral minister to the Latino community of Holy Redeemer Parish in North Portland, and participated in the clinical pastoral education at Oregon State Hospital. Fr. Ted also spent a summer at the Mexican American Cultural Center in the Spanish Immersion program. He served as a pastoral intern at Christ the King Parish in Milwaukie, and as a deacon at St. Mary’s Parish, Mt. Angel Oregon. 

Fr. Ted was ordained in May, 2004. Since then, he has served as parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Parish in Eugene, pastor of Star of the Sea in Astoria, as parochial vicar at St. Anthony’s in Tigard, and most recently, served as pastor of St. James parish in Molalla.

We welcome Fr. Ted’s varied and diverse background, his delightful sense of humor, and his dedication to serving the people of God.