About Holy Trinity · Goldendale, Washington
Holy Trinity Catholic Church is a small Catholic parish serving approximately 90 families in Goldendale, Washington, in the rural Klickitat Valley. Established in 1884 and a member of the Diocese of Yakima, the parish has been shepherded since January 1999 by Rev. William Byron. Holy Trinity offers weekend Masses in both English and Spanish, a daily 9:00 a.m. Mass, Mother of Perpetual Help devotions on Tuesdays, and a CCD (religious education) program for children in grades K-12. The current wood-frame church was built around 1907 and remains in use, surrounded by a modest parish campus that includes a parish hall and rectory.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- Holy Trinity
- Rector
- Rev. William Byron
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
Holy Trinity is a small but mission-minded Catholic parish rooted in the rural Klickitat Valley since 1884, where Mass is offered daily and in both English and Spanish each weekend. Parishioners are formed in faith through a K-12 CCD program on Wednesdays and gathered in devotion through weekly Mother of Perpetual Help prayers on Tuesdays and Stations of the Cross during Lent. With a pastor who has served the parish for more than 25 years and about 90 families forming the community, it offers the warmth and continuity of a tight-knit Catholic family in the high desert of south-central Washington.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 12:00 noon (every Saturday)
- Before Mass on Saturday and Sunday
History of Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Catholic missionary activity in the Klickitat Valley predates the town of Goldendale itself. The first missionaries to reach the valley were Oblates from the Athanum Mission near Yakima, including Rev. Charles Pandosy of Marseilles, France, and Rev. Eugene Chirouse — the first Catholic priests ordained in what is now the state of Washington (1848). The Indigenous people called the priests "black robes," and many became converts. After the Oblates, the Jesuit Fathers from the Province of Turin in Italy arrived in 1870, and Rev. Augustine Laure, S.J. began tending to the scattered Catholic families across Klickitat County.
- 1870: Jesuits from Turin replace the Oblates at Athanum; Rev. Augustine Laure, S.J. serves Klickitat County.
- 1872: John Golden plats the town of Goldendale.
- February 17, 1884: First Mass celebrated at Holy Family Church in Centerville by Rev. Carruana — the parish's official establishment date.
- Father P. Gard travels remote Klickitat County in a two-wheeled cart drawn by an Indian Cayuse.
- 1887: Rev. P. Cuniffe of Ireland appointed pastor; he improves the Centerville church and buys 4 acres in Goldendale.
- 1905: Rev. V. C. Couvrette appointed pastor in Goldendale.
- c. 1907: Present Holy Trinity Church built by contractor Thomas Twohig — 60' x 36', seating about 200.
- 1923: Rev. Thomas Edwards dismantles old Holy Family in Centerville and builds the present Parish Hall from the lumber.
- 1980s: Original rectory sold and removed; parish purchases current rectory across the street.
Parish Life & Clergy
Holy Trinity is led by pastor Rev. William Byron, who was assigned in January 1999 and remains in residence today — a tenure of more than 25 years. Pastoral and administrative life is supported by a small staff and a finance council that keeps the parish running week to week. The parish serves approximately 90 families drawn from Goldendale and the wider rural Klickitat Valley.
- Pastor: Rev. William Byron (assigned January 1999)
- Secretary / Pastoral Assistant: Mary Myra
- Religious Education: Virginia Amidon
- Youth Ministry / CCD Director: Angie Desmarais
- Finance Council President: Angela Hoffman
Mass & Liturgy
The parish offers a daily Mass at 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, an English Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30 p.m., a Spanish Saturday Mass at 6:30 p.m., and two English Sunday Masses at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. On Tuesdays the daily Mass is followed by Mother of Perpetual Help Devotions, and during Lent the community gathers for Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings.
- Daily Mass — Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.
- Saturday Vigil — 5:30 p.m. (English)
- Saturday — 6:30 p.m. (Spanish)
- Sunday — 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. (English)
- Mother of Perpetual Help Devotions — Tuesdays following the 9:00 a.m. Mass (9:30–10:00 a.m.)
- Stations of the Cross — 6:00 p.m. on Fridays during Lent
Faith Formation & CCD
Holy Trinity's CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program provides religious education for children from kindergarten through 12th grade. Classes meet on Wednesdays during the school year — early afternoon for the younger students and an evening session for the teens — with separate levels staffed by grade-level catechists. Registration forms are available at the church entrance or through the parish office, and volunteers are always welcome.
- K-6th Grade: Wednesdays, 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.
- 7th-12th Grade: Wednesdays, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
- Term: September through May
- CCD Director: Angie Desmarais
- 2019-20 catechists included Cheryl Sondag (K), Virginia Amidon (2nd), Melissa Mosbrucker (3rd), Ann Fernandez (4th), Melissa Blunt (5th), Mary Anne Enyeart (6th), and Cathy Dressel, Angie Desmarais and Joanne Bond (7th-12th).
Buildings & Campus
The parish campus reflects more than a century of incremental building. The wood-frame Holy Trinity Church dates to about 1907 and has been expanded with a sacristy and front entry; the Parish Hall was built in 1923 by Rev. Thomas Edwards using lumber from the dismantled Holy Family Church in Centerville, and CCD classrooms have been added onto the hall. The original rectory was sold and removed in the 1980s; the parish then purchased the current rectory across the street. According to the parish, the buildings have retained a "quaint historical charm."
- Holy Trinity Church — wood frame, c. 1907, builder Thomas Twohig, 60' x 36', seats about 200
- Sacristy and front entry — added to the church after original construction
- Parish Hall — built 1923 by Rev. Thomas Edwards from the lumber of Holy Family, Centerville
- CCD classrooms — added onto the Parish Hall in later decades
- Current rectory — purchased across the street in the 1980s
Visiting & Contact
Holy Trinity welcomes visitors at its longtime location on S. Schuster Street in Goldendale, the seat of Klickitat County in south-central Washington. The parish office is open limited hours during the week and can be reached by phone or email for parish business, sacramental preparation, or to volunteer.
- Address: 210 S. Schuster St., Goldendale, WA 98620
- Phone: (509) 773-4516
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Friday 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. (closed Tuesday–Thursday)
- Parish website: https://goldendalechurch.wixsite.com/holytrinity/
- Diocese of Yakima listing: https://yakimadiocese.org/directory-parishes/listing/goldendale-holy-trinity-parish/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Augustine Laure, S.J.from 1870
Jesuit from the Province of Turin in Italy; attended to Catholics scattered across Klickitat County.
- Rev. Carruana1884
Celebrated the first Mass at Holy Family Church in Centerville on February 17, 1884.
- Rev. P. Gard1880s
Traveled the remote parts of Klickitat County in a two-wheeled cart drawn by an Indian Cayuse.
- Rev. P. Cuniffe1887–
Irish-born; made improvements to Centerville church and purchased 4 acres of land in Goldendale.
- Rev. V. C. Couvrettefrom 1905
Appointed pastor in Goldendale; oversaw construction of the present Holy Trinity Church c. 1907.
- Rev. Thomas Edwardsfrom 1923
Tore down old Holy Family Church in Centerville and built the present Parish Hall from the lumber.
- Rev. William ByronJanuary 1999 – present
Current pastor; per Diocese of Yakima 2020 directory.