Oral history interview with Richard F. Berg

Collection

Identifier: SR 2414

Staff Only

Oral history interview with Richard F. Berg

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Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Richard F. Berg was conducted by Leigh Coffey in August 1996. The interview was conducted as part of the Legacy of Hope: Catholics and Social Justice Project, which collected interviews with Catholic clergy members in Oregon about their work on social action in the Roman Catholic tradition. The interview was conducted in three sessions.

In this interview, Berg discusses his family background and his early life in Portland, Oregon, and in Ford Ord, California, during World War II. He talks about his service as pastor for the St. Andre Parish, also known as the Downtown Chapel, and speaks at length about his work with people with post-traumatic stress disorder. He also speaks about his work with the MacDonald Center, now the Maybelle Center for Community, an organization dedicated to building community for people who are socially isolated.

Dates

Creation: 1996 August

Creator

Berg, Richard F. (Interviewee, Person)
Coffey, Leigh (Interviewer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Biographical note

Richard Berg was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1936. During World War II, the family lived in Fort Ord, California, where his father worked as chief surgeon in a military hospital. They returned to Portland after the end of the war. He attended the seminary at Notre Dame University. In 1963, he was inducted into the Catholic priesthood at the Vatican. In 1969, he earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Portland, then went on to become dean of the College of Arts at that university. Beginning in 1989, he also served as pastor for the St. Andre parish, also known as the Downtown Chapel. He founded the MacDonald Center, now the Maybelle Center for Community, an organization dedicated to building community for socially isolated people, and served as its executive director. Beginning in 2001, he served as a pastor at Mary’s Woods, a retirement community founded by the Sisters of the Holy Names. In 2013, he published a book, "Scars," about soldiers and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (4 audiocassettes (3 hr., 23 min., 39 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Richard F. Berg conducted by Leigh Coffey in August 1996. Berg discusses his work as a Catholic priest in Portland, Oregon, particularly his work with people with post-traumatic stress disorder.