About Holy Family · Three Forks, Montana
Holy Family Catholic Church is a small Roman-Latin rite parish serving Three Forks, Montana — the small town at the headwaters of the Missouri River where the Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison rivers converge. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Helena and is now jointly administered with Saint John Vianney Parish in nearby Belgrade, sharing a pastor, staff, and faith-formation programs. Holy Family offers a Saturday morning Holy Hour with confessions and a Sunday Mass, and is supported by an active community of lay faithful who keep this country parish thriving in the Gallatin Valley.
- Established
- c. 1886
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Father Bart Tolleson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Helena
Why belong here
Holy Family offers a warm, country-sized Catholic community for Three Forks and the surrounding Gallatin Valley, with a Saturday morning Holy Hour that includes Eucharistic Adoration and confessions, and a Sunday Mass. As part of the joint Saint John Vianney–Holy Family family of faith, parishioners also have access to the larger SJV parish life in nearby Belgrade — Knights of Columbus, Women of Faith, Respect Life group, Well-Read Mom, music ministry, faith formation and sacramental preparation — while still gathering each week in their historic Three Forks church.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (at Holy Family, per sjvandhf.org mass-times page)
- Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. during the Holy Hour following 8 a.m. Mass, or by appointment (per Discover Mass listing)
Adoration times
- Saturday Holy Hour 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. following 8:00 a.m. Mass
Parish Identity & History
Holy Family Catholic Church in Three Forks, Montana, has served the Catholics of the upper Gallatin Valley since at least 1886. For more than a century it shared the pastoral care of the region with Holy Rosary Parish in Bozeman. Today the parish continues its small-town Catholic life and is administered jointly with Saint John Vianney Parish in Belgrade, sharing clergy, staff, and ministry programs.
- Established circa 1886
- Part of the Diocese of Helena
- Historically one of two anchor parishes of the Gallatin Valley
Clergy and Staff
Holy Family is presently served by a pastor who also shepherds Saint John Vianney in Belgrade, with a permanent deacon on senior status at Holy Family and parish staff supporting both worship sites. A parish secretary handles office needs, and directors oversee communications, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, and sacred music.
- Pastor: Father Bart Tolleson
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Robert Lane (Senior Status)
- Deacon: Deacon Warner Holm
- Parish Secretary: Barb Gallagher
- Communications & CGS Coordinator: Krista Baziak
- Director of Sacred Music: Katherine Dean
- Maintenance: Phil Williams
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Sacramental preparation for Holy Family is coordinated through the joint Saint John Vianney–Holy Family program. Children preparing for First Holy Communion receive the Sacrament of Penance before receiving the Eucharist, and First Communion classes are announced each January. Information about Baptism, Confirmation, and Anointing of the Sick is listed on the parish's Sacraments page.
- Reconciliation (Penance)
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Holy Communion (classes announced in January)
- Anointing of the Sick
Ministries and Parish Life
Although small in size, Holy Family's joint parish family with Saint John Vianney offers an unusually active pastoral menu — from the Knights of Columbus and a women's organization to a Respect Life group and a book club. The Music Ministry supports worship at both worship sites, and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program is coordinated by the parish communications staff member.
- Knights of Columbus — Missouri Headwaters Council 10432 (meets at SJV second Thursday of each month)
- Women of Faith
- Respect Life Group
- Well-Read Mom Book Club
- Sacred Music Ministry
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Diocese and Wider Community
Holy Family is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. The parish straddles the rich Montana-history region of Three Forks — the headwaters of the Missouri River — and historically served Catholics across the Gallatin Valley together with Holy Rosary Parish in Bozeman.
- Diocese of Helena (Roman Catholic)
- Three Forks, Gallatin County, Montana
- Joint pastoral team with Saint John Vianney Parish, Belgrade
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Patrick Brown1977
Holy Family pastor in 1977 when pastoral care of the new Belgrade mission was transferred to him from Fr. Dan Shea.
- Fr. Eric Gilbaugh
Listed as Holy Family pastor on the Diocese of Helena parish page.