About Living Water Mission Church · Seeley Lake, Montana
Living Water Mission Church is a small Roman Catholic mission in Seeley Lake, Montana, set in the heart of the Montana wilderness along Highway 200 between the Swan and Clearwater valleys. It is a mission church of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Helmville within the Diocese of Helena, and was transferred in July 2023 from the pastoral care of St. Ann Parish in Bonner to that of St. Thomas. Weekend Mass is celebrated Saturday at 4:00 PM, with a 3:15 PM Rosary beforehand, and a summer Tuesday morning Mass is offered from June through September. The mission is served by Father Józef Perehubka, a Polish-born priest of the Diocese of Helena, with parish administrative support from Maureen (Mo) Mannix in Helmville.
- Rector
- Father Józef Perehubka
- Diocese
- Diocese of Helena
Why belong here
Living Water Mission offers the small, tight-knit Catholic mountain community of Seeley Lake a regular weekly Mass and the Sacraments in one of Montana's most beautiful but geographically isolated settings. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed to Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM, the Rosary at 3:15 PM, the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday afternoon or by appointment, and a summer Tuesday morning Mass from June through September — all under the pastoral care of an experienced priest from the Diocese of Helena who also serves the neighboring missions of Helmville and Lincoln. It is a genuine rural Catholic outpost where faith, hospitality and the wilderness setting go hand in hand.
Mass times at Living Water Mission Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM at Living Water (Seeley Lake)
- Before or after any Mass, or by appointment
Adoration times
- Sunday 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM at St. Thomas the Apostle, Helmville
Living Water Mission at a Glance
Living Water is a mission church of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Helmville, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. It serves the small community of Seeley Lake in western Montana's Clearwater–Swan valley region, with Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM and a seasonal Tuesday morning Mass from June through September. The mission belongs to a three-church rural parish network that also includes St. Thomas the Apostle in Helmville and St. Jude Mission in Lincoln, all served by a single priest.
- Type: Mission church
- Parent parish: St. Thomas the Apostle, Helmville
- Diocese: Helena
- Administrator: Father Józef Perehubka
- Address: 152 SOS Road, Seeley Lake, MT 59868
History & Pastoral Care
Living Water Mission has long been a rural Catholic outpost in the Seeley Lake basin. For many years its pastoral care was provided by St. Ann Parish in Bonner; St. Ann's parish history records that Father Michael Smith, who served Bonner from 1990 to 2000, was the first St. Ann pastor to also serve Living Water of Seeley. Subsequent St. Ann pastors — including Father Ray Gilmore and Father Józef Perehubka (from August 2017) — continued to minister there.
- First served by St. Ann, Bonner under Father Michael Smith (1990–2000)
- Continued under later St. Ann pastors including Fathers Gilmore, Morley, Poole and Perehubka
- On April 14, 2023, Bishop Austin A. Vetter announced that as of July 1, 2023, Living Water Mission's pastoral care would be transferred from St. Ann Parish, Bonner, to St. Thomas Parish, Helmville
- Father Józef Perehubka named Administrator of St. Thomas Parish, with St. Jude Mission (Lincoln) and Living Water Mission (Seeley Lake) added to his assignment
Cluster Parish: Saints Thomas & Jude
Because one priest now ministers three rural mission churches, the parish publishes a single combined schedule under the name 'Saints Thomas & Jude.' Daily Mass is celebrated Wednesday through Friday at 9:00 AM at St. Thomas the Apostle in Helmville. On Sundays, Mass is offered at 9:00 AM in Helmville and at 11:00 AM at St. Jude Mission in Lincoln, with Eucharistic Adoration at Helmville from 8:15 to 8:45 AM. The combined website, thomasandjude.org, lists all three churches and their contact details.
- Daily Mass (Wed–Fri) 9:00 AM, St. Thomas, Helmville
- Sunday Mass 9:00 AM, St. Thomas, Helmville
- Sunday Mass 11:00 AM, St. Jude, Lincoln
- Sunday Adoration 8:15–8:45 AM, St. Thomas, Helmville
- Office hours in Helmville generally follow daily Mass; appointments at 406-793-5697
Staff & Administration
The mission is served by Father Józef Perehubka, Administrator, a priest originally from Poland who has served the Diocese of Helena for more than 15 years. Day-to-day parish administration, including the parish office, bulletins and Flocknote communications, is coordinated by Maureen 'Mo' Mannix, the Bookkeeper/Secretary based in Helmville. Visitors and parishioners can reach Mo Mannix at 406-793-5834 or 406-461-0084, or by email at [email protected].
- Father Józef Perehubka — Administrator, originally from Poland
- Maureen 'Mo' Mannix — Bookkeeper/Secretary
- Parish office: 108A Main St., Helmville, MT 59843 (mailing PO Box 90, Helmville, MT 59843)
- Parish phone (Helmville): 406-793-5697
Communications: Bulletins & Flocknote
The cluster parish publishes a regular bulletin, archived on the website under 'Bulletins' and dating back to at least January 2020, with recent issues posted for 2024 and 2025. The homepage also features the day's Mass readings and a prominent Flocknote signup form. Flocknote is a free email and text messaging tool the parish uses to keep members informed of Mass times, special events and seasonal schedule changes — sign-up only requires a name, email and phone number.
- Weekly bulletins archived at thomasandjude.org/bulletins
- Daily Mass readings posted on homepage
- Flocknote signup for parish email/text alerts
- Safe Environment commitment linked on the site, with diocesan abuse-prevention resources
Diocese of Helena & Safe Environment
Living Water Mission belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, which oversees parishes and missions across western and central Montana. The mission's homepage prominently states the parish's commitment to the care and safety of children and vulnerable adults, linking to the diocesan Safe Environment program and its reporting resources for any allegation of abuse. The Diocese of Helena publishes Living Water's details in its directory of parishes and missions by location.
- Jurisdiction: Diocese of Helena
- Bishop: Austin A. Vetter (announcing the 2023 reassignment)
- Diocesan listing: diocesehelena.org/parishes/living-water-mission
- Safe Environment & abuse reporting information linked from thomasandjude.org
Contact & Visit
Living Water Mission is located at 152 SOS Road in Seeley Lake, Montana 59868. The parish phone line is 406-677-2688, with a secondary/emergency contact at 406-677-4500. For parish business, correspondence may be sent through the Helmville parish office at PO Box 90, Helmville, MT 59843, or by emailing [email protected]. The mission's website, www.thomasandjude.org, contains the current Mass schedule, bulletins and contact information for all three churches in the cluster.
- Address: 152 SOS Road, Seeley Lake, MT 59868
- Phone: (406) 677-2688 (parish); (406) 677-4500 (emergency)
- Helmville office: PO Box 90, Helmville, MT 59843
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.thomasandjude.org
- Facebook page linked from the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael Smith1990–2000
St. Ann, Bonner pastor noted as the first St. Ann pastor to also serve Living Water Mission, Seeley Lake.
- Father Ray Gilmore2000–
Continued St. Ann's care of the Seeley Lake mission.
- Father Józef Perehubka2017–present
Originally assigned to St. Ann, Bonner in August 2017; in July 2023 named Administrator of St. Thomas Parish, Helmville, with Living Water Mission (and St. Jude Mission, Lincoln) added to his pastoral care.