About Holy Family · Jordan Valley, Oregon
Holy Family is a Catholic mission church serving the tiny ranching community of Arock, Oregon — an unincorporated hamlet in the high-desert Owyhee country of far southeastern Oregon, within the broad Jordan Valley region. It is a mission of St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Jordan Valley, and together the two parishes form a single pastoral cluster in the Diocese of Baker, bringing weekly Mass and the sacraments to one of the most sparsely populated Catholic communities in the American West. The mission is staffed by Fr. Shaji Thomas, OSH, pastor of St. Bernard's, and offers Saturday Vigil Mass for the local ranching families scattered across this remote corner of Malheur County.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Fr. Shaji Thomas, OSH
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baker
Why belong here
Holy Family is the Catholic home for the ranching families of Arock and the surrounding Owyhee desert in far southeastern Oregon — a community where the nearest neighbors may be many miles apart and the nearest parish many more. As a mission of St. Bernard's Jordan Valley, it brings the Sunday Eucharist and the sacraments to people who would otherwise have to drive great distances to worship, and it gathers a small but close-knit community of Catholic families in one of the most remote corners of the Diocese of Baker. Worshipping here means joining a historic Catholic frontier tradition that began with Irish and Basque sheepherders building their own stone church in 1914 and continues with the mission in Arock completed in 1959.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity and Mission Status
Holy Family Catholic Church in Arock, Oregon is classified as a Catholic mission rather than an independent parish. It is canonically attached to St. Bernard's Catholic Church in nearby Jordan Valley, and the two share a single pastor and pastoral council. Together they form one of the most geographically far-flung parish clusters in the Diocese of Baker.
- Type: Mission church
- Parent parish: St. Bernard's Catholic Church, Jordan Valley, OR
- Diocese of Baker
- Address: 3520 Arock Road, Arock, OR 97910
- Mailing: PO Box 186, Jordan Valley, OR 97910
History of Holy Family and the Jordan Valley Catholic Community
Holy Family of Arock was built in 1958–59 as the first mission project of St. Bernard's parish in Jordan Valley. Its story is part of a longer Catholic frontier history in the Owyhee region: St. Bernard's itself was raised in 1914 by Irish and Basque sheepherders from native stone, and the builders' family names — Fenwick, Maher, Swisher, Warn, and Connors — are still visible on the steeple. Through the 20th century, fluctuating priest availability meant Mass was sometimes only monthly; today Holy Family continues that small-community Catholic tradition on the high desert.
- 1958 — St. Bernard's officially named a parish; pastor's first mission is to build a church in Arock.
- April 1959 — Holy Family of Arock church completed.
- 1950s — A Franciscan Father of Santa Barbara Province, on loan to the Diocese of Baker, served Jordan Valley; a small living quarter was built over the sacristy to house him.
- Early 2000s — Shortage of priests in the Baker Diocese reduced St. Bernard's to missionary status; a priest traveled from Ontario, Oregon each Sunday.
- 2015 — Fr. Clemens installed as resident pastor at St. Bernard's.
- 2016 — Major renovation of St. Bernard's church begun under Fr. Clemens.
- October 8, 2002 — Holy Family Catholic Church of Arock, Inc. formally incorporated as an Oregon nonprofit.
Pastor and Clergy
Holy Family is served by the pastor of the parent parish, St. Bernard's in Jordan Valley. According to both the parish website and the Diocese of Baker clergy roster, the current pastor is Fr. Shaji Thomas, OSH. He serves as Administrator of Saint Bernard Church, Jordan Valley, and oversees the Mission of Holy Family, Arock.
- Fr. Shaji Thomas, OSH — Pastor / Administrator (St. Bernard's, Jordan Valley & Holy Family, Arock)
- Past priest: Fr. Clemens — resident pastor at St. Bernard's from 2015; began major renovation of the parent church in 2016
Contact and Visiting
Because Holy Family is a mission, day-to-day contact is handled through St. Bernard's parish in Jordan Valley. The parish phone line rings at the rectory and is staffed by Fr. Shaji Thomas. Donations to Holy Family may be mailed to the parish PO box.
- Phone (parish office / Fr. Shaji Thomas): (541) 586-2266
- Mailing address: PO Box 186, Jordan Valley, OR 97910
- Street address (church): 3520 Arock Road, Arock, OR 97910
- Parish website: https://stbernardsjordanvalley.com/
- Diocese: Diocese of Baker (chancery in Redmond, OR)
The Diocese of Baker
Holy Family belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker, the diocesan jurisdiction for much of central and eastern Oregon. The diocesan chancery is located in Redmond, Oregon (641 SW Umatilla Avenue). The Diocese of Baker oversees both parishes and missions like Holy Family across a vast, sparsely populated region — from the high desert to the Cascade communities — and has at times struggled with priest shortages that have shaped the missionary character of parishes like St. Bernard's and Holy Family.
- Diocese: Baker
- Diocesan entity of record: Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Baker
- Diocesan address: 641 SW Umatilla Ave, Redmond, OR 97756
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Clemens2015–
Received as resident pastor of St. Bernard's in 2015 and began a major renovation of the parent church in 2016.