About Holy Rosary · Rosalia, Washington
Holy Rosary Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the rural farming community of Rosalia in Whitman County, eastern Washington. The parish was established in 1892 in the Diocese of Spokane and continues to serve the Catholic faithful of Rosalia and the surrounding Palouse agricultural region. Today it is pastored by Rev. Michael J. Savelesky, who is also responsible for nearby Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in St. John, reflecting a typical rural-cluster arrangement across two small Whitman County towns. The parish is headquartered at 622 N Plaza Avenue in Rosalia, with weekly Sunday Mass celebrated for its worshipping community.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael J. Savelesky
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Holy Rosary is a small, long-established Catholic parish deep in the wheat country of the Palouse — a community founded in 1892 by Catholic farm families and now more than 130 years old. Worshippers here join a tight-knit rural Catholic family gathered weekly for Sunday Mass on Plaza Avenue in Rosalia, with the priest also linking them to the neighboring parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in St. John. For Catholics in southern Whitman County — or travelers passing through the Palouse between Spokane and Pullman — Holy Rosary offers a faithful, welcoming place to celebrate the Eucharist, mark life's sacraments, and lay loved ones to rest in the historic parish cemetery dating back to the 1890s.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity & History
Holy Rosary Parish was established in 1892 to serve Catholic homesteaders and farm families settling the rolling wheat lands of the Palouse in eastern Washington. Today it is a small, tightly-knit rural parish of the Diocese of Spokane, headquartered at 622 N Plaza Avenue in Rosalia, Whitman County. As one of the older Catholic outposts in the region, Holy Rosary links today's worshippers to more than 130 years of continuous Catholic life on the Palouse.
- Founded 1892
- Diocese of Spokane
- Located in Rosalia, Whitman County, WA
Holy Rosary Cemetery
South of Rosalia, the parish maintains the Holy Rosary Cemetery — a tangible link to the parish's 1892 founding. Cemetery markers span from 1898 to 2010, encompassing the lives of 126 indexed individuals. The burial ground is accessed from the south Rosalia exit of Hwy 195, south on Rosalia–Oakesdale Road (Rd. 271) for about half a mile, left on C W Hughes Road, then right onto L D Johnson Road; the second gate leads into the cemetery.
- Marker dates 1898–2010
- 126 individuals indexed
- Mailing/contact: 622 N Plaza Ave, Rosalia (PO Box 321, St. John, WA 99171)
- Cemetery transcription by Maggie Rail, with prior 1973 reading by Marge Robertson & Lorraine White
Pastor & Clergy
The parish is led by Rev. Michael J. (Mike) Savelesky, who pastors both Holy Rosary in Rosalia and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in St. John. Fr. Savelesky was reappointed pastor of Holy Rosary effective July 1, 2025 by Bishop Thomas Daly of the Diocese of Spokane. He is also Diocesan Archivist for the Diocese of Spokane.
- Rev. Michael J. Savelesky — Pastor (reappointed July 1, 2025)
- Rev. Jeffrey Core — former pastor (per parish nonprofit filings)
- Contact email: [email protected]
Mass & Worship Schedule
Holy Rosary celebrates Sunday Mass each week as its principal act of worship. Public directory listings report two different Sunday times on different schedules (a Sunday 8:30 AM time and a Sunday 9:45 AM time appear in current aggregated listings); parishioners and visitors are encouraged to call the parish office at (509) 998-0209 to confirm the weekly schedule, especially around holidays and holy days. Weekday Mass information is not currently published in online directories.
- Sunday Mass — check parish at (509) 998-0209 for current time
- Weekday Mass — not currently published
- Holy Day Mass schedule — listed in parish directories as 'Holy Rosary' (check parish for times)
Visit & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach Holy Rosary Parish by phone at (509) 998-0209 or by email at [email protected]. The parish's mailing address is PO Box 8, Rosalia, WA 99170, and it is also reachable at its physical location at 622 N Plaza Avenue, Rosalia, WA 99170. The pastor's residence/mailing address on diocesan records is 5103 N. Stevens, Spokane, WA 99205.
- Phone: (509) 998-0209
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: PO Box 8, Rosalia, WA 99170
- Street address: 622 N Plaza Ave, Rosalia, WA 99170
Clustered Parishes & Diocese Context
Because Holy Rosary is a small rural parish, the Diocese of Spokane pairs it with Our Lady of Perpetual Help in St. John (about 18 miles west), under a single pastor — Fr. Michael Savelesky. The cluster arrangement lets the diocese maintain a regular priestly presence and Sunday liturgy for both small farming communities across the Palouse.
- Sister parish: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. John, WA
- Diocese of Spokane — Bishop Thomas A. Daly
- Listed in 'The Fig Tree' community directory as Holy Rosary Catholic (Rosalia)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jeffrey Core
Previously served Holy Rosary, Rosalia; listed as a former officer (FR. JEFFREY CORE / REV. JEFFREY CORE) in the parish's Washington State nonprofit corporation filing.
- Rev. Michael J. SaveleskyThrough 2025 (reappointed)
Current pastor of Holy Rosary, Rosalia; also pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. John. Reappointed July 1, 2025 by Bishop Thomas Daly. Listed as Governor of the parish's nonprofit corporation and contact priest for both parishes.