About Immaculate Heart of Mary · Kelso, Washington
Immaculate Heart of Mary is a small Roman Catholic parish in Kelso, Washington, established in 1910 and now part of the Archdiocese of Seattle. With roughly 150 households, the parish is one of five mission communities clustered into Parish Family 43, joined to St. Rose de Viterbo in Longview, St. Joseph in Kalama, St. Mary in Castle Rock, and St. Catherine in Cathlamet under the pastoral leadership of one pastor through the Partners in the Gospel initiative. The parish celebrates Mass on Sundays and two weekdays, offers Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, and hosts the Atrium for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program that serves the wider family of parishes.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- Immaculate Heart of Mary (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Brian D. Thompson
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (Southern Deanery, Parish Family 43)
Why belong here
Immaculate Heart of Mary is a small but rooted parish where many of the same families have worshipped for generations — in a small Cowlitz County town, names rarely change, and longtime parishioners still remember parish events of the 1950s and '60s. The parish offers the full sacramental life (Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, Reconciliation, and all-day Friday Eucharistic Adoration), hosts the Atrium for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd serving the wider parish family, and gathers parishioners around ministries that span Hispanic and Filipino community fellowship, grief support, homebound visits, detention ministry at the Cowlitz County Jail, music, scouting, and the Tech Team that livestreams Mass to the homebound.
Mass times at Immaculate Heart of Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 11:30 am – 12:00 pm (Immaculate Heart of Mary)
- By appointment — call the parish office at 360-425-4660
Adoration times
- Friday 7:00 am – 7:00 pm (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Kelso)
Parish Family 43 and Partners in the Gospel
In 2024, the Archdiocese of Seattle grouped parishes into Parish Families under Partners in the Gospel, a strategic pastoral planning process. Immaculate Heart of Mary belongs to Parish Family 43 in the Southern Deanery, led by a single pastor and joined by St. Rose de Viterbo in Longview, St. Joseph in Kalama, St. Mary in Castle Rock, and St. Catherine in Cathlamet. The shared website at stroselongview.com hosts the combined staff directory, schedule, and ministries pages for all five parishes.
- Pastor: Rev. Brian D. Thompson
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Vinner Raj Simeon Raj, H.G.N.
- Sister parishes: St. Rose de Viterbo (Longview), St. Joseph (Kalama), St. Mary (Castle Rock), St. Catherine (Cathlamet)
- Deanery: Southern Deanery of the Archdiocese of Seattle
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, a deacon, and a small staff who coordinate faith formation, administration, music, and evangelization across the parish family.
- Rev. Brian D. Thompson — Pastor
- Rev. Vinner Raj Simeon Raj, H.G.N. — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Fred Johnson
- Pamela Martinez — First Communion / Confirmation Coordinator
- Theresa Galvez — Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) and 9 am Choir Director
- Sarah Hoskins — Regional Pastoral Assistant for Administration
History of Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Catholic community in Kelso predates the parish itself. From around 1889, local families such as the Baxters, Plamondons, and McAuliffes hosted Mass in their homes. In 1899 the eleven Catholics in town petitioned the Franciscans for a priest but could only be visited about four times a year, and a former Methodist church served as the local mission.
- 1889 — earliest Catholic worship in Kelso takes place in private homes (Baxter, Plamondon, McAuliffe families)
- 1899 — eleven Catholics petition the Franciscans for a priest; receive only four visits per year
- 1910 — Diocese of Nesqually establishes St. Mary Parish (the Archdiocese of Seattle's recorded establishment date)
- 1928 — present church built for $20,000 under Father Leonard Bose, OFM, dedicated September 23, 1928
- 1990s — parish renamed Immaculate Heart of Mary
- 2024 — joined to Parish Family 43 under Partners in the Gospel
- 2026 — parish celebrates 100th anniversary with Mass by Auxiliary Bishop Frank Schuster on June 14
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
The parish family runs an extensive faith formation program for children and teens across all five parishes. Most Catechesis of the Good Shepherd sessions take place in the Atrium prepared at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Kelso, where age-appropriate rooms (Atria) are set up for children ages 3–12. First Sacraments, Youth Group, Confirmation, OCIC, and Quinceañera preparation are also offered.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — Levels 1 (ages 3–6), 2 (ages 6–9), 3 (ages 9–12)
- First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation — Thursdays at 6:15 pm for children ages 7+
- Youth Group — Wednesdays at 6:00 pm for grades 6–12
- Confirmation — two-year program; classes Thursdays at 6:00 pm; Confirmation Mass in Spring/Summer 2026
- Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC) — Tuesdays at 6:00 pm for children aged 7+ not yet baptized
- Quinceañera — requires participation in Youth Group and Confirmation
- All programs require adult volunteers who complete Safe Environment training and a background check
Becoming Catholic (OCIA / OCIC)
Anyone aged 7 and above who is interested in becoming Catholic begins preparation with the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) or the Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC). The process runs from fall through the Easter Vigil and is a communal experience of study, faith-sharing, and the sacraments of initiation. Baptized Christians from another tradition make a profession of faith and receive First Communion and Confirmation to come into full communion with the Catholic Church.
- OCIA — for unbaptized adults and baptized Christians from other traditions
- OCIC — for children aged 7+
- Classes begin in the fall and conclude at the Easter Vigil
Parish Ministries and Community Life
Immaculate Heart of Mary, together with the parish family, offers a wide range of ministries for adults, teens, and families. Many of these are organized at the parish-family level, so IHM parishioners can join with Catholics from Longview, Kalama, Castle Rock, and Cathlamet in service and fellowship.
- Hispanic Community — fellowship and cultural traditions of Catholic faith
- Filipino Community — fellowship for Filipino parishioners
- Grief Ministry — faith-based comfort and support for those who have lost a loved one
- Homebound Ministry — lay ministers bring Holy Communion to the homebound and sick
- Detention Ministry — provides worship services at the Cowlitz County Jail every three weeks
- Boy Scouts
- Tech Team — manages the sound system and livestream for Mass
- Music Ministry / Choirs — including the 9 am Choir
Sacraments
Information about Baptism, Marriage, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, and Confirmation is handled through the parish office at 360-425-4660. Sacramental preparation for children takes place through the faith formation programs described above.
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- First Reconciliation and First Communion — Thursday evening classes for children 7+
- Confirmation — two-year program
- OCIA / OCIC — preparation for unbaptized adults and children
Reaching the Homebound and Sick
The parish family livestreams its 11:00 am Sunday Mass on its Facebook page for the ill and homebound; a Facebook account is not required to view it. Lay ministers can also bring Holy Communion to those unable to attend Mass — call the parish office at 360-425-4660 to arrange a visit.
- Livestreamed Sunday Mass on the parish Facebook page
- Holy Communion visits by lay ministers on request
Visiting and Contact
Immaculate Heart of Mary is located at 2200 Allen Street in Kelso, just east of I-5 exit 39, and is reached by following Allen Street east to the church. The parish office, which serves all five churches in Parish Family 43, can be reached by phone or email.
- Address: 2200 Allen Street, Kelso, WA 98626-5004
- Phone: (360) 425-4660
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stroselongview.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ihmkelso/
- Directions: I-5 exit 39, east on Allen Street to the church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Leonard Bose, OFM
Franciscan who led construction of the present church, built for $20,000 and dedicated Sept. 23, 1928; named it St. Mary Parish.
- Father Patrick LyonsThrough the 1950s
Wrote a 1945 parish history document and a letter to Archbishop Thomas Connolly about the Ku Klux Klan's presence in Kelso.
- Very Rev. Bryan A. Ochs
Listed as pastor in older parish directories.