About Holy Cross · Lake Stevens, Washington
Holy Cross Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Lake Stevens, Washington, in the fast-growing northeast corner of Snohomish County. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Seattle and worships at 6915 State Route 92, in the Lochsloy area between Lake Stevens and Granite Falls. The parish is bilingual, celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish each Sunday, with significant Filipino and Vietnamese communities also calling it home. Today's Holy Cross grew out of a small Catholic mission that served Granite Falls Catholics for nearly a century before becoming an independent parish in 2004, and in 2019 it dedicated a new 430-seat church — its third worship space — to serve a congregation that has already grown past 800 registered households.
- Established
- 2004
- Patron
- The Holy Cross of Jesus Christ
- Rector
- Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr. (Priest Administrator; Pastor of Parish Family 8, which includes Holy Cross, St. Mary of the Valley in Monroe, and St. Michael in Snohomish)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (Snohomish Deanery)
Why belong here
Holy Cross is a bilingual, multi-generational Catholic family in one of the fastest-growing corners of Snohomish County, where weekend Mass in English and Spanish is offered every Sunday alongside a Saturday Vigil, four weekday Masses, Wednesday confessions, Thursday adoration, and a weekly Tuesday Communion service with rosary. Families find a full sacramental life here — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, OCIA for adults and children, Quinceañeras, marriage prep, funerals, and Anointing of the Sick — together with youth ministry for grades 6–12 (including Steubenville NW and Mission Trek), four choirs (English, Spanish and Children's), Knights of Columbus service, and a long-standing Outreach ministry that partners with Catholic Community Services on health screenings and other local initiatives. If you live in Lake Stevens, Granite Falls or anywhere in the SR 9 / SR 92 corridor, Holy Cross is built to be your parish home.
Mass times at Holy Cross
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
- Thursday: 10:00 am – 11:30 am (during Adoration)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 10:00 am – 11:30 am (with Confession)
Our Story — From Granite Falls Mission to Lake Stevens Parish
Catholic life in the Lake Stevens / Granite Falls corridor stretches back to 1903, when Holy Cross was first organized as a mission of St. Michael Parish in Snohomish. For nearly 100 years it remained a mission church, served by priests traveling north into rural Snohomish County. In 1998 the community purchased a 32-acre parcel on State Route 92 in the Lochsloy area between Lake Stevens and Granite Falls, and in 2004 Archbishop Alexander Brunett established Holy Cross as an independent parish with 74 registered households. A small 140-seat church was built on the new property in 2007; a larger 430-seat church, designed by Broderick Architects and dedicated by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain on April 28, 2019, serves as the parish's home today.
- 1903 — Holy Cross mission organized in Granite Falls under St. Michael Parish, Snohomish
- 1998 — 32-acre parcel on SR 92 purchased
- 2003 — Father Jay DeFolco appointed to bring Holy Cross and the Granite Falls mission together
- 2004 — Holy Cross established as an independent parish (74 households)
- 2007 — First church built on the SR 92 property (~140 seats)
- 2019, April 28 — New 430-seat church dedicated by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
- Part of Parish Family 8 under Partners in the Gospel
Worship & Liturgy
Holy Cross celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish every Sunday, with a Saturday Vigil and four weekday Masses. The parish also offers a Tuesday Communion Service, weekday rosary, Thursday morning adoration with confession, and a regular Wednesday confession hour. Music is led by a team of English choirs, two Spanish choirs, and a children's choir, with a separate Spanish wedding music ministry.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:00 pm (English)
- Sunday Masses — 8:00 am (Spanish), 9:30 am (English), 11:00 am (Spanish)
- Weekday Masses — Tue, Wed (8 am & 6 pm), Thu, Fri at 8:00 am
- Tuesday Communion Service 9:00 am, followed by Rosary
- Wed & Thu Rosary at 8:30 am before 9:00 am Mass
- Thursday Adoration & Confession 10:00–11:30 am
Sacramental Life
The parish prepares Catholics of every age for the sacraments of initiation and walks with families through marriage, anointing and funeral rites. Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) are coordinated through the Faith Formation office. Holy Cross is also a regular setting for Quinceañeras and offers Ministry to the Homebound and Anointing of the Sick.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation
- OCIA for adults — contact Carmella Barger at [email protected]
- OCIA for Children & Youth (ages 7–17, Saturdays 2–4 pm)
- First Communion typically at age 7 / 2nd grade; preceded by First Reconciliation
- Youth Confirmation at age 12 (Archdiocese of Seattle norm)
- Marriage Preparation, Quinceañera prep, Funerals
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites, Ministry to the Homebound
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at Holy Cross is led by Pastoral Assistant LeeAnn Balbirona and serves children, youth and adults. The Children's Religious Education program feeds into First Communion preparation, while OCIA (for both adults and children) welcomes those seeking baptism or full communion with the Catholic Church. Registration for the following year's First Communion and Confirmation classes opens June 1 each year.
- Children's Religious Education
- First Communion Preparation (typical age 7 / 2nd grade)
- Youth Confirmation (age 12, Archdiocese of Seattle norm)
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- OCIA for Children & Youth, ages 7–17 (Saturdays 2–4 pm)
Youth Ministry
Pastoral Assistant for Youth Ministry Amy Traugott coordinates ministry for grades 6 through 12, including First Communion preparation for older students ages 11–17, the Steubenville NW youth conference, and Mission Trek. Holy Cross's confirmation class regularly draws students from more than a dozen high schools in the surrounding area.
- Youth Ministry for grades 6–12
- First Communion preparation for ages 11–17
- Steubenville NW
- Mission Trek
- Confirmation classes have included students from 13 high schools
Music Ministry
Music at Holy Cross is directed by Jeannette Green (English choirs) with Antonio Carrillo leading the Spanish choirs and wedding music. The parish supports four choirs in regular rotation plus special Holy Day music and a children's choir that gives younger parishioners a place to participate in the liturgy.
- 5:00 pm English choir (Saturday Vigil)
- 9:30 am English choir (Sunday)
- 8:00 am & 11:00 am Spanish choirs
- Children's choir
- Holy Day music & liturgies
- Wedding music ministry (Spanish)
Parish Outreach & Charity
Holy Cross has a long-standing parish outreach ministry (often listed separately as Holy Cross Outreach) that provides food and assistance to neighbors in need in the Lake Stevens area. The parish has also partnered with Catholic Community Services' Network Builders program to host vaccine and health screenings — especially during COVID — for parishioners from Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, and other Central American communities. Holy Cross was highlighted in the Archdiocese of Seattle's Parish Outreach Guide as a model for parish-based health outreach.
- Holy Cross Outreach (parish food & assistance ministry)
- Vaccine and health screenings with Catholic Community Services Network Builders
- Archdiocese of Seattle Parish Outreach Guide recognized model
- Outreach phone line: 360-691-2273
Knights of Columbus & Other Groups
The parish's Knights of Columbus council is a visible presence at Holy Cross, having donated the materials for the new altar in 2019 and supporting Sacrificial Giving and other parish initiatives. Other parish life touches include Marriage Preparation, Quinceañera celebrations, and Sacrificial Giving / Membership & Mailings.
- Knights of Columbus council
- Sacrificial Giving / Stewardship
- Membership & Mailings
- Quinceañera celebrations
- Marriage Preparation
Parish Staff & Clergy
Holy Cross is led as part of the Archdiocese of Seattle's Parish Family 8 under Priest Administrator Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr., with Rev. Phillip A. Bloom serving as Parochial Vicar and Deacon Gene Vanderzanden assisting. The lay staff handles administration, faith formation, youth ministry, music, outreach and finances.
- Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr. — Priest Administrator (Pastor of Parish Family 8)
- Rev. Phillip A. Bloom — Parochial Vicar (also serves St. Mary of the Valley, Monroe)
- Deacon Gene Vanderzanden — 360-568-0821, [email protected]
- Alicia Ramirez — Parish Administrator & Hispanic Ministry ([email protected])
- LeeAnn Balbirona — Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Amy Traugott — Pastoral Assistant for Youth Ministry ([email protected])
- Jeannette Green / Jeannette Mitchell-Green — Director of Music
- Antonio Carrillo — Spanish Choir & Music (425-319-4622)
- Carmella Barger — Bookkeeper / OCIA Coordinator ([email protected], 425-478-4269)
- Annette Van Dyke — pastoral staff
The Church Building & Campus
The current Holy Cross church is a 5,640-square-foot new-construction worship building designed by Broderick Architects and completed in spring 2019. Steel construction is paired with wood, stone and stained-glass finishes, and the interior features seven stained-glass windows — one for each sacrament. Pieces of the original Granite Falls mission church (the ambo, statues of Mary and Joseph, a tile cross and the Stations of the Cross) are preserved inside the new building, while a new tabernacle, crucifix and altar (built by parishioner Al Fitch with Knights of Columbus–donated materials) complete the sanctuary. The 32-acre property also includes the parish hall that, until 2019, doubled as overflow Mass space.
- 5,640 sq ft worship building designed by Broderick Architects
- 430-seat main worship space
- Seven stained-glass windows representing the seven sacraments
- Items preserved from original Granite Falls mission: ambo, Mary & Joseph statues, tile cross, Stations of the Cross
- New altar built by parishioner Al Fitch; materials donated by Knights of Columbus
- Dedicated April 28, 2019 by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
- Sits on a 32-acre parish property purchased in 1998
Parish Family 8 & Partners in the Gospel
In 2024 the Archdiocese of Seattle grouped parishes into Parish Families under the Partners in the Gospel strategic pastoral planning process. Holy Cross now belongs to Parish Family 8 alongside St. Mary of the Valley in Monroe and St. Michael in Snohomish, sharing one pastor (Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr.) across the three communities with Parochial Vicar Fr. Phillip Bloom assisting.
- Parish Family 8 in the Archdiocese of Seattle
- Pastored by Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr. (Priest Administrator)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Phillip A. Bloom
- Sister parishes: St. Mary of the Valley, Monroe (98272) and St. Michael, Snohomish (98290)
Visiting & Contact
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and staff are happy to answer questions about sacraments, registration, Spanish-language ministries or simply getting connected to parish life.
- Address: 6915 SR 92, Lake Stevens, WA 98258
- Mailing: PO Box 746, Lake Stevens, WA 98258
- Office phone: 360-691-2636
- Fax: 360-691-3683
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- General email: [email protected]
- Website: https://hccclakestevens.org/
- Facebook: Holy Cross Catholic Church of Lake Stevens, WA
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jay (Joseph) DeFolco2003 – 2019 (approximately)
Appointed by Archbishop Alexander Brunett in 2003 to bring Holy Cross together with the Granite Falls mission and lead it as a new parish. Oversaw the purchase of the 32-acre Highway 92 site, the construction of the first on-site church in 2007, and the larger 430-seat church dedicated in 2019. Served as pastor of Holy Cross for 16 years until his death at age 66.