About Diocese of Yakima
The Diocese of Yakima (Latin: Dioecesis Yakimensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church serving central Washington State in the United States. Erected on June 23, 1951 by Pope Pius XII from territory carved out of the (then-Diocese, now-Archdiocese) of Seattle and the Diocese of Spokane, it is a suffragan see of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Seattle and covers roughly 17,787 square miles across seven counties — Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima. Its mother church is St. Paul Cathedral in Yakima, and as of 2026 its seventh and current bishop is Joseph J. Tyson, known nationally for the diocese's signature seminarian migrant-ministry program in the apple and hop fields of the Yakima Valley.
- Bishop
- Joseph J. Tyson
- Established
- 1951
- Cathedral
- St. Paul Cathedral, Yakima, WA
- Territory
- Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat and Yakima Counties in central Washington State — a territory of roughly 17,787 square miles.
- Parishes
- 44 (as of 2025)
- Province
- Archdiocese of Seattle (Ecclesiastical Province of Seattle)
History
Catholic life in central Washington began in 1847 when four Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate entered the Yakima Valley at the invitation of Chief Owhi. Oblates Louis Joseph D'Herbomez and Charles M. Pandosy established St. Joseph Mission near Ahtanum Creek in 1852 at the request of Chief Kamiakin. After U.S. Army soldiers burned the mission during the 1855 Yakama Indian War, it was rebuilt in 1870 and the priests were forced off the reservation the next year. The Sisters of Charity of Providence arrived in 1875 and opened the first Catholic school in Yakima, founding St. Elizabeth Hospital in 1891. Parishes multiplied in the early 20th century — St. Rose of Lima in Ephrata (1904), St. Joseph's in Kennewick (1911) and St. Paul's in Yakima (1914) — and Christ the King in Richland was established in 1943 as a Hanford Engineer Works mission. On June 23, 1951, Pope Pius XII erected the Diocese of Yakima, carving counties from Seattle (which was simultaneously raised to metropolitan status) and Spokane, and named Reverend Joseph P. Dougherty the first bishop.
- 1847 — Oblate missionaries Pandosy, Chirouse, Blanchet and Father Richard invited by Chief Owhi
- 1852 — St. Joseph Mission established at Ahtanum Creek
- 1855 — Mission burned during the Yakama Indian War
- 1875 — Sisters of Charity of Providence arrive; first Catholic school in Yakima opens
- 1891 — St. Elizabeth Hospital founded in North Yakima
- 1904–1914 — St. Rose of Lima (Ephrata), St. Joseph's (Kennewick), St. Paul's (Yakima)
- 1943 — Christ the King mission in Richland for Hanford workers
- 1951 — Diocese of Yakima erected by Pope Pius XII
Bishops of Yakima
Seven bishops have shepherded the Diocese of Yakima since its founding. Joseph P. Dougherty (1951–1969) was followed in rapid succession by Cornelius M. Power, Nicolas E. Walsh, William S. Skylstad, Francis E. George, O.M.I., Carlos Arthur Sevilla, S.J., and Joseph J. Tyson (2011–present). Several ordinaries went on to major prominence: Power and George each became Archbishop of Portland in Oregon, and George went on to Chicago and the College of Cardinals. William Skylstad became Bishop of Spokane. Bishop Tyson, the current ordinary, previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle and is founder of the diocese's seminarian migrant-ministry program.
- Joseph P. Dougherty (1951–1969)
- Cornelius M. Power (1969–1974)
- Nicolas E. Walsh (1974–1976)
- William S. Skylstad (1977–1990)
- Francis E. George, O.M.I. (1990–1996) — later Cardinal
- Carlos Arthur Sevilla, S.J. (1996–2011) — Bishop Emeritus
- Joseph J. Tyson (2011–present)
The Bishop
Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson, D.D., has served as Bishop of Yakima since April 12, 2011, when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him; he had previously been an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle. Tyson is widely known for the diocese's signature Seminarian Migrant Ministry Program, in which every seminarian of the diocese spends his summers working side-by-side with H-2A migrant farmworkers in the Yakima Valley, providing early-morning Mass, catechesis, Spanish-language immersion and pastoral presence in the orchards, warehouses and temporary housing camps. The bishop's regular reminders include, "If they can't come to Mass, we go to them." He also inaugurated the Maria Goretti memorial stone at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in November 2023.
- Installed as the seventh Bishop of Yakima on April 12, 2011
- Founder of the Seminarian Migrant Ministry Program (2011)
- Office located at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 101 S 12th Avenue, Yakima
- Bishop's email: [email protected]
Pastoral Center & Chancery
The diocesan central administration is housed in the Pastoral Center in downtown Yakima, physically located at 101 S 12th Avenue, Yakima, WA 98902 (mailing P.O. Box 2189, Yakima, WA 98907). The complex includes the bishop's office, the chancery led by Msgr. Robert M. Siler (Episcopal Vicar and Chancellor), offices for personnel and policy, finance, schools, evangelization and faith formation, and migration ministry. Visitors can reach the Pastoral Center by telephone at (509) 965-7117 and by general email at [email protected]; the fax line is (509) 966-8334.
- 101 S 12th Avenue, Yakima, WA 98902
- P.O. Box 2189, Yakima, WA 98907 (mailing)
- Phone (509) 965-7117 · Fax (509) 966-8334
- Email: [email protected]
- Chancellor: Msgr. Robert M. Siler (ext. 334)
- Bilingual Receptionist: Silvia Sanchez (ext. 321)
St. Paul Cathedral
St. Paul Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Yakima, located at 212 N. 4th Street, Yakima, WA 98901. The parish was founded in 1914 — the first Mass was celebrated on Easter Sunday, March 19, 1914 in the chapel of St. Elizabeth Hospital, with 200 in attendance. Rev. Robert Armstrong commissioned San Francisco architect John Maloney to design a Spanish Colonial Revival church inspired by Mission Dolores; groundbreaking was held February 8, 1926, and the first Mass in the new building was offered on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1927. Four iconic columns on the front portico depict the crops of the Yakima Valley — apples, corn, grapes, peaches, pears, tomatoes and wheat — while side columns stylize the Columbia River. When the diocese was erected in 1951, St. Paul's was named the cathedral; major enlargements followed in 1954–55 (chapel with Gabriel Loire of Chartres stained glass), 1981 (post-Vatican II reordering) and 1986 (renovation and rededication). A 1998 addition of a Spanish Mass reflects the diocese's Latino majority; Life Teen Mass is celebrated at 7:00 p.m. The cathedral's 125-foot tower plays Westminster chimes throughout the day.
- Address: 212 N. 4th Street, Yakima, WA 98901
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday Masses: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. (English); 1:00 p.m. (Spanish); 7:00 p.m. (Life Teen)
- Sacrament of Penance: Saturday 4:00 p.m. or by appointment
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- Phone: (509) 575-3713
- Congregation: ~1,800 families
Parishes
The diocese currently lists 44 parishes and missions across its seven counties, each listed alphabetically and geographically in the official diocesan parish directory. Mass times, locations and contact information for each parish are published on the diocesan website at yakimadiocese.org/directory-parishes. Parishes with histories extending back more than a century include St. Paul's Cathedral (Yakima, 1914), St. Joseph's (Kennewick, 1911), St. Rose of Lima (Ephrata, 1904), and Immaculate Conception (Toppenish, 1907). More recent foundations include Resurrection (Zillah, 1963), Holy Spirit (Kennewick, 1980) and Our Lady of the Desert (Mattawa, 1978).
- St. Paul Cathedral — Yakima
- St. Joseph — Yakima (one of three Yakima parishes)
- Holy Family — Yakima
- Holy Redeemer — Yakima
- Christ the King — Richland
- St. Joseph — Kennewick
- Holy Spirit — Kennewick
- St. Rose of Lima — Ephrata
- Resurrection — Zillah
- St. Joseph — Wenatchee
- Holy Apostles — East Wenatchee
- Immaculate Conception — Toppenish
- St. Pius X — Quincy
- Our Lady of Lourdes — Selah
- Our Lady of Fatima — Moses Lake
- Our Lady of the Desert — Mattawa
- Queen of All Saints — Warden
Catholic Schools
The Diocese of Yakima operates a system of seven Catholic schools, including six elementary schools (PK–8 or PK–5) and one four-year college-preparatory high school. The system is administered through the diocesan Office of the Director of Schools and includes Christ the King School in Richland (K–8), Christ the Teacher Catholic School in Yakima (PK–8), St. Joseph/Marquette School in Yakima (PK–8), St. Joseph School in Kennewick (PK–8), St. Joseph School in Wenatchee (PK–5), St. Rose of Lima School in Ephrata (PK–6) and La Salle High School in Union Gap (9–12). Enrollment at individual campuses ranges from about 100 to over 400 students.
- Christ the King School — Richland (K–8)
- Christ the Teacher Catholic School — Yakima (PK–8)
- St. Joseph/Marquette School — Yakima (PK–8)
- St. Joseph School — Kennewick (PK–8)
- St. Joseph School — Wenatchee (PK–5)
- St. Rose of Lima School — Ephrata (PK–6)
- La Salle High School — Union Gap (9–12)
Vocations & Seminarian Formation
The Vocations Office is overseen by the Diocesan Vocation Director and meets regularly with men discerning the priesthood. Bishop Tyson has built the diocese's reputation for priestly formation around a distinctive cultural immersion: every seminarian must spend his summers working in the orchards and warehouses of central Washington alongside the migrant farmworkers. This is in addition to the priests' requirement to be bilingual (English–Spanish), since the diocese's largest Mass-going population is Latino. The vocations page also publishes profiles of current seminarians and contact information for anyone interested in religious life or priesthood.
- Vocations Office hosted on yakimadiocese.org
- Every seminarian works summers in the orchards and migrant camps
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) requirement for diocesan priests
Seminarian Migrant Ministry
Launched by Bishop Tyson in the summer of 2011, the Diocese of Yakima's Seminarian Migrant Ministry Program is the diocese's signature outreach effort. Every seminarian is required to spend the harvest season picking apples, hops and cherries alongside H-2A seasonal workers in the Yakima Valley — waking at 3:30 a.m. with the crews, joining them for breakfast at 4:00 a.m. and celebrating daily Mass at 5:00 a.m. in converted hotel housing or field campsites. Seminarians also offer catechesis (Mondays), English-as-a-Second-Language classes (Tuesdays and Saturdays), Adoration (Thursdays), Bible study (Fridays) and Sunday Mass for an additional ~100,000 Spanish-speaking migrant workers who flood central Washington each summer. The program has been profiled by America Magazine, Catholic Extension Society and is supported in part by Catholic Extension Society grants. Father Jesús Mariscal, ordained in 2018 after helping launch the program as a seminarian, now supervises the program on behalf of the diocese.
- Began summer 2011 under Bishop Tyson
- Site locations: Fairbridge Hotel & Conference Center (Yakima), Monitor, Wash., Malaga, Wash.
- Schedule: 4:00 a.m. breakfast greeting; 5:00 a.m. daily Mass; catechesis, ESL, Adoration and Bible study nightly
- Supported by Catholic Extension Society
- Supervised by Fr. Jesús Mariscal
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Office of Evangelization and Faith Formation (Sandra Barros, Director) coordinates sacramental preparation, catechetical programming, adult faith formation and youth ministry across the seven-county diocese. Parish-based religious education programs prepare children for First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation, while youth ministry programs include the diocesan Life Teen Mass celebrated each Sunday evening at St. Paul Cathedral. The diocese's bilingual character is reflected in parallel Spanish- and English-language faith formation tracks, with significant catechesis delivered through the Seminarian Migrant Ministry during the summer months.
- Director of Evangelization and Faith Formation: Sandra Barros
- Life Teen Mass: Sundays 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul Cathedral
- Bilingual sacramental preparation in English and Spanish
Catholic Charities & Outreach
The diocese operates Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Yakima, an outreach arm that continues the work of the Yakima Children's Bureau founded in 1949. Diocesan services in the territory include emergency assistance, food programs, housing support and family services. The diocese also maintains the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Yakima, which in November 2023 became the site of the diocese's Maria Goretti memorial stone inscribed with a prayer for healing for all victims of sexual abuse. Mission ministries of the diocese include voter-registration resources and ongoing immigration resources for the large Spanish-speaking population it serves.
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Yakima
- Yakima Children's Bureau founded 1949
- Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Yakima
- Maria Goretti memorial stone (November 2023)
- Immigration information resources published on diocesan website
Liturgy & Music
Liturgical life at St. Paul Cathedral reflects both the diocese's Spanish Mission architectural heritage and its bilingual present. Sunday Masses include the 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. English liturgies, a 1:00 p.m. Spanish Mass added in 1998, and the 7:00 p.m. Life Teen Mass. The Sacrament of Penance (Confession) is offered Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and by appointment. The cathedral's music program includes the cathedral choir and has hosted performances by visiting choirs from Washington State University, Central Washington University, Pacific Lutheran University and the Yakima Valley Symphony Chorus. The cathedral's two pipe organs and a 1920s pipe organ from a Florida church (added after a 2004 chapel fire) support the cathedral's liturgical music.
- Sunday Mass: 7:00, 9:00, 11:00 a.m. (English); 1:00 p.m. (Spanish); 7:00 p.m. (Life Teen)
- Confession: Saturday 4:00 p.m. or by appointment
- Cathedral choir plus visiting university choirs
- Two main pipe organs plus 1920 Florida pipe organ installed in chapel
Clergy, Religious & Staff
The diocesan staff is led by Bishop Joseph J. Tyson and includes Episcopal Vicar and Chancellor Msgr. Robert M. Siler, Vice-Chancellor for Personnel and Policies Diana Aparicio, Director of Schools Doug Rich, Director of Evangelization and Faith Formation Sandra Barros, Bilingual Administrative Assistant and Receptionist Silvia Sanchez, and the directors of Migrant Ministry, Catholic Charities, vocations and the Tribunal. Religious communities historically serving the diocese include the Sisters of Charity of Providence (arrived 1875), the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (founding Oblate missionaries), and most recently religious sisters serving migrant workers through the U.S. Sisters Exchange Program.
- Bishop Joseph J. Tyson
- Chancellor Msgr. Robert M. Siler
- Director of Schools Doug Rich
- Director of Evangelization & Faith Formation Sandra Barros
- Sisters of Charity of Providence (since 1875)
- Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (founding missionaries)
- U.S. Sisters Exchange Program religious sisters (migrant ministry)
Sex Abuse & Safeguarding
The Diocese of Yakima has publicly acknowledged and documented instances of sexual abuse by clergy and made restorative efforts. In January 2008 the diocese agreed to pay $25,000 each to four women who said they had been abused by Michael Simpson at Saint Aloysius Parish in Toppenish when they were minors. In July 2019 the diocese published a list of 21 priests and deacons with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. In September 2019 the Vatican instructed Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle to investigate Bishop Emeritus Carlos Arthur Sevilla, S.J.'s handling of abuse cases and possible retaliation against diocesan employees who had criticized his actions. In July 2022 Pope Francis issued a formal reprimand to Sevilla over those failures. In November 2023 the diocese erected a memorial stone to St. Maria Goretti at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Yakima inscribed with a prayer for healing for all victims of sexual abuse.
- 2008 settlement of four Simpson abuse plaintiffs ($25,000 each)
- July 2019 publication of 21 priests/deacons with credible abuse allegations
- September 2019 Vatican investigation of Bishop Sevilla opened
- July 2022 papal reprimand of Bishop Sevilla
- November 2023 Maria Goretti memorial stone at Calvary Catholic Cemetery
Territory & Statistics
The Diocese of Yakima covers 17,787 square miles of central Washington State — Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat and Yakima Counties — making it one of the geographically larger U.S. dioceses but demographically smaller. As of 2022, the total resident population of the territory was 751,808, of whom about 190,000 (25.3%) were Catholic. The territory is a suffragan see of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Seattle, within USCCB Region XII (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington). It currently has 44 parishes and 7 Catholic schools. During the summer harvest the Catholic population effectively swells by an estimated 100,000 Spanish-speaking H-2A migrant workers, most of them from Mexico and Guatemala.
- 7 counties: Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Yakima
- 17,787 square miles / 46,051 sq km
- Total resident population (2022): 751,808
- Catholic resident population (2022): ~190,000 (25.3%)
- Suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Seattle
- USCCB Region XII
