About Holy Rosary · Pomeroy, Washington
Holy Rosary Catholic Parish is a small Roman-Latin rite parish in Pomeroy, Washington — the county seat of Garfield County in the rural Palouse region of southeastern Washington. Founded in 1878 by Father Louis Paaps, it is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the area and is part of a tri-parish grouping that also includes St. Joseph's in Dayton and St. Mark's in Waitsburg, served together under the Roman Catholic Parishes of Pomeroy, Dayton & Waitsburg (rcparishes.org). The parish belongs to the Diocese of Spokane and continues to celebrate Mass regularly at its historic location on High Street in Pomeroy.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Rosary (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey Core (currently listed as pastor of Holy Family, Clarkston with pastoral care of Holy Rosary, Pomeroy, per the Diocese of Spokane priest directory)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
Holy Rosary offers small-town, rural Catholic community life in the heart of Garfield County's wheat country. As part of the tri-parish grouping with Dayton and Waitsburg, parishioners benefit from shared celebrations, weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration on first Thursdays, and the regular sacraments — all in the setting of a parish whose roots go back to 1878 and the founding of Pomeroy itself.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (after Mass)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (1st Thursdays)
About Holy Rosary Parish
Holy Rosary Catholic Parish serves the small farming community of Pomeroy, the county seat of Garfield County in southeastern Washington's Palouse region. Established in 1878, it is the oldest Catholic parish in the area and remains an active worshipping community under the Diocese of Spokane. The parish is part of a tri-parish collaborative with St. Joseph's in Dayton and St. Mark's in Waitsburg, sharing pastoral leadership and ministry across the three small towns.
- Founded 1878 by Father Louis Paaps
- Located at 634 High Street, Pomeroy, WA 99347
- Part of the Diocese of Spokane
- Tri-parish grouping: Holy Rosary (Pomeroy), St. Joseph's (Dayton), St. Mark's (Waitsburg)
History of the Parish
Holy Rosary was organized in 1878 — the same year Joseph M. Pomeroy filed the town's plat — making it the first church established in Pomeroy. The first church building was completed in 1880 but was blown down by a storm on January 9, 1880; the parishioners rebuilt it quickly. A parish school was founded in 1886 to serve the children of the growing community. A new, larger church building replaced the original in 1916, and that structure continues to serve the parish today. The parish was formally incorporated in Washington State on May 10, 2007.
- 1878 — Parish organized by Father Louis Paaps
- 1880 — First church built, destroyed by storm Jan. 9, 1880; rebuilt
- 1886 — Parish school founded
- 1916 — New church building constructed (still in use)
- 2007 — Parish incorporated as Holy Rosary Catholic Parish – Pomeroy
Clergy and Staff
Holy Rosary is currently served by Rev. Jeffrey Core, who is listed by the Diocese of Spokane as pastor with pastoral care of Holy Rosary, Pomeroy (alongside Holy Family, Clarkston). Rev. Steve Werner previously served the tri-parish grouping of Pomeroy, Dayton and Waitsburg beginning in June 2017. Parish governance includes lay governors who assist with the administration of the parish corporation.
- Rev. Jeffrey Core — current pastor
- Rev. Steve Werner — former pastor (2017–c. 2023)
- Lay governors assisting with parish administration
Tri-Parish Collaboration
Because the Pomeroy, Dayton and Waitsburg area is sparsely populated, Holy Rosary shares pastoral ministry with two neighboring parishes — St. Joseph's in Dayton and St. Mark's in Waitsburg — under the joint website rcparishes.org. This collaboration allows the small rural communities to maintain regular Mass schedules, sacramental preparation, and seasonal celebrations such as Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, which are often shared across the three churches.
- Holy Rosary — Pomeroy (634 High St)
- St. Joseph's — Dayton (112 S First St)
- St. Mark's — Waitsburg (405 W 5th St)
- Joint website: rcparishes.org
Contact and Location
Parishioners and visitors can reach Holy Rosary at its parish office at 634 High Street, Pomeroy, WA 99347, by phone at (509) 843-3801, or by email at [email protected]. The parish is listed in the Diocese of Spokane's parish directory and maintains a tri-parish website at rcparishes.org.
- Address: 634 High Street, Pomeroy, WA 99347
- Phone: (509) 843-3801
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: rcparishes.org/pomeroy.html
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Steve Werner2017 – approximately 2023
Served the tri-parish grouping of Holy Rosary (Pomeroy), St. Joseph's (Dayton) and St. Mark's (Waitsburg); email [email protected]
- Rev. Jeffrey Corecurrent
Listed by the Diocese of Spokane as pastor of Holy Family, Clarkston with pastoral care of Holy Rosary, Pomeroy