About Immaculate Conception · Roslyn, Washington
Immaculate Conception Parish is a historic Catholic community in the old coal-mining town of Roslyn, Washington, in the Upper Kittitas Valley. Established in 1886 and built in 1887, the parish was erected by the Reverend L. Kusters to serve the Italian and Austro-Hungarian immigrant miners and their families who poured into Roslyn when the Northern Pacific Coal Company opened the mines. Today Immaculate Conception is administered together with St. John the Baptist Parish in neighboring Cle Elum under one pastor, Very Rev. Francisco Higuera, and remains part of the Diocese of Yakima. The Carpenter Gothic church still overlooks Roslyn from its hillside perch at the corner of Idaho and B Streets, more than 135 years after it was first raised by the faithful of the town.
- Established
- 1886
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title of the Immaculate Conception)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Francisco Higuera
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a small, historic parish where the faithful still worship in the same Carpenter Gothic frame church that immigrant miners raised in 1887 on the hillside above Roslyn. It is paired with St. John the Baptist in Cle Elum under a single pastor, so newcomers join a close-knit community that takes its liturgical life seriously — weekly Sunday Mass, weekday Masses, a Saturday vigil across town, monthly First Friday Exposition and Benediction, and a half-hour rosary before every Mass. The parish welcomes everyone through the warm hospitality that its website proclaims in four languages, and offers the full sacramental life of a Catholic parish including RCIA, faith formation for children, Confirmation preparation, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation by appointment.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM at St. John the Baptist, Cle Elum
- By appointment — call 509-674-2531 ext. 5 (Fr. Higuera)
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: Exposition and Benediction following 8:00 AM Mass until 12:00 PM (with sign-up sheets in the back of the parishes to spend time with the Lord)
Exposition, Benediction, and Devotions
On the First Friday of each month the parish gathers for Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament following the 8:00 AM Mass at Immaculate Conception-Roslyn, continuing until noon. Sign-up sheets to spend time with the Lord are available in the back of both parishes.
- Exposition and Benediction — 1st Friday, after 8:00 AM Mass until 12:00 PM, at Immaculate Conception, Roslyn
- Rosary — 1/2 hour before every Mass, all are welcome
History of Immaculate Conception
The parish was created out of the coal-mining boom of the 1880s. Mass was first celebrated in parishioners' homes by priests traveling from Ellensburg and then Cle Elum, until the Reverend L. Kusters supervised the construction of the present church on the east hill in 1887. James J. Quinn (1841–1921) was a key lay fundraiser. The parish was formally constituted on August 30, 1889 from the Ellensburg parish, the rectory was added in 1900 under Rev. P. Kornke, the church was damaged by fire and repaired in 1932, and after the 1997 Ash Wednesday earthquake the building was closed for three years for restoration. In September 2011 the parish celebrated its 125th anniversary with Bishop Joseph Tyson.
- 1886 — Parish established by the Diocese of Yakima; Roslyn platted that same year by Logan M. Bullitt of the Northern Pacific Coal Company
- 1887 — Carpenter Gothic church erected on the east hill under Rev. L. Kusters
- August 30, 1889 — Roslyn Catholic Parish formally constituted from the Ellensburg parish
- 1900 — Rectory built under Rev. P. Kornke
- 1932 — Church damaged by fire and repaired
- 1997 — Ash Wednesday earthquake damages the church; congregation worships elsewhere for three years
- 2011 — 125th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Joseph Tyson and concelebrating priests
Heritage of the Parish
The parish was built by and for immigrant miners — Italian, Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian, and Czech families — many of whom are still remembered in the town's divided cemetery. For many years Benedictine priests from St. Martin's Abbey served both Roslyn and Cle Elum, including Fathers Patnode, Shaw, Siler, and Vazquez. Croatian is still occasionally used in liturgical celebrations, as it was when Bishop Tyson led part of the 125th anniversary Mass in Croatian.
- Founding ethnic communities: Italian, Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian, Czech
- Benedictine pastors from St. Martin's Abbey served the parish for many years
- Croatian still used occasionally in liturgy
The Church Building
Immaculate Conception is a Carpenter Gothic frame church at the corner of Idaho Avenue and B Street, listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Roslyn Historic District. Its high-towered silhouette is one of the visual landmarks of the town, and after the post-1997 restoration the interior is finished with blue-and-white paint accenting the original wood wainscoting.
- Style: Carpenter Gothic
- Construction: 1887, by Rev. L. Kusters
- Features: gable roof, square projecting bell tower with pyramidal roof, shiplap siding, lancet-arch windows with Gothic sash
- Rectory: two-story, wood-shingled, 1900, by Rev. P. Kornke
- Interior: blue-and-white paint accenting wood wainscoting (post-1997 restoration)
Clergy and Staff
Immaculate Conception is led by Very Rev. Francisco Higuera, who also serves as pastor of the sister parish of St. John the Baptist in Cle Elum. He is assisted by Deacon James Joseph Johnson and a small staff and lay leadership team that runs catechesis, music, the bulletin, finance, and parish council life.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Francisco Higuera (assigned July 2018; [email protected])
- Deacon: James Joseph Johnson
- Office Manager / Bookkeeper: Wendy Hill ([email protected])
- Catechesis Coordinators: Susan Johnson and Trish Griswold ([email protected])
- Safe Environment: Cheryl Burrows
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Faith formation for children is coordinated by Susan Johnson and Trish Griswold, who can be reached through the parish office. The RCIA process for adults is led directly by the pastor, and Confirmation preparation is shared by a small team under Deacon James Johnson.
- Faith Formation / Catechesis: Susan Johnson, Trish Griswold
- Confirmation: Stephanie Butorac, Barbara Johnson, Michael Uribe, Deacon James Johnson
- RCIA: Rev. Francisco Higuera
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 PM at St. John the Baptist, Cle Elum, or by appointment
Parish Leadership and Ministries
Lay leadership is organized through a Parish Council and a Finance Council, with separate chairs and members for each. Music is led by Aaron Hirsch with Michael Uribe as substitute; the parish bulletin is edited by Holli Sullivan, who together with Ron Sullivan also designs and maintains the parish website.
- Parish Council Chair: Brenda Alford (members Bill Barschaw, Cheryl Burrows, Bill Dickinson, Lynn Foust, Paul Pendergrass, Ron Sullivan)
- Finance Council: Ruben Beedle, Brian Browitt, Rick Fersch, Marilyn Uribe
- Music: Aaron Hirsch (substitute Michael Uribe)
- Bulletin Editor: Holli Sullivan
- Web Design & Maintenance: Ron and Holli Sullivan
Office, Contact, and Location
The Immaculate Conception church stands at 211 N B Street, Roslyn, WA 98941, at the corner of Idaho Avenue and B Street. Day-to-day parish administration, however, is run from the shared parish office at 303 W 2nd Street, Cle Elum, WA 98922 (PO Box 630, Cle Elum, WA 98922), which is open Tuesday through Thursday 10:00 AM–3:00 PM and Wednesday through Friday 10:00 AM–4:00 PM; the office is closed on Mondays. Callers are encouraged to phone or leave a message before coming in.
- Church address: 211 N B St, Roslyn, WA 98941
- Parish office: 303 W 2nd St, Cle Elum, WA 98922 (PO Box 630, Cle Elum, WA 98922)
- Phone: 509-674-2531
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tue–Thu 10:00 AM–3:00 PM; Wed–Fri 10:00 AM–4:00 PM; closed Mondays
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. L. Kusters1887
Supervised construction of the Immaculate Conception church; celebrated Mass in parishioner homes before the church was built.
- Rev. P. Kornke1900
Supervised construction of the rectory.
- Benedictine fathers (St. Martin's Abbey)
Served both Roslyn and Cle Elum for many years, including Fathers Patnode, Shaw, Siler, and Vazquez; their great-uncle was the last Benedictine pastor in Cle Elum (per Fr. Paul Weckert O.S.B.).
- Father Larry Reilly
Pastor in September 2011 when the parish celebrated its 125th anniversary.
- Father Brooks BeaulaurierUntil July 2018
Pastor of St. John the Baptist (Cle Elum) and Immaculate Conception (Roslyn); reassigned in June 2018 to St. Henry, Grand Coulee, Queen of Angels (Coulee City), and St. Joseph (Waterville).
- Very Rev. Francisco HigueraJuly 2018–present
Previously parochial vicar of St. Paul Cathedral Parish, Yakima; assigned as pastor of both Immaculate Conception and St. John the Baptist, residing in Roslyn.