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Archbishop plans visit here Sunday Oregon's highest Catholic leader will visit the Rogue Valley Sunday as part of a trip marking the millennium. Archbishop John Vlazny will celebrate Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Medford and the historic St. Joseph Mission in Jacksonville. The mission, built in 1858, is Southern Oregon's oldest Catholic church and is considered one of a number of significant historic sites in the archdiocese. Vlazny plans to make such visits to a number of historically significant sites this year in honor of the new millennium, church leaders say. The Mass at Sacred Heart starts at 3 p.m. Sunday. At 4:15 p.m., Vlazny and others will ride a bus to St. Joseph Mission. Buses will leave Jacksonville at 6 p.m. to return to Sacred Heart Parish in Medford. The mission became the center of Catholic activity in Southern Oregon for many years. For 24 years, its leader was Monsignor Francis Blanchet, nephew of Oregon's first archbishop. In 1865, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary opened a school in Jacksonville. St. Joseph also founded a Medford mission, Sacred Heart, in 1890. As gold mining dwindled in Jacksonville and the population shifted to Medford, the Catholic school and church closed. St. Joseph reopened in 1956 and Mass is still held on Sundays. To join the bus ride to Jacksonville, call Sacred Heart, 779-4661. Vlazny is the 10th leader in the 154-year-old history of the Archdiocese of Portland. The Archdiocese encompasses 289,951 people in 124 parishes west of the Cascades in Oregon. Vlazny is one of 48 archbishops in the United States. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA