About Mary Queen of Heaven · Sprague, Washington
Mary Queen of Heaven is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the small railroad town of Sprague, in Lincoln County, Washington, serving the west-plains area of the Diocese of Spokane. The parish dates its beginnings to 1882–1883, when Mass was first offered in a mission chapel and the parish itself was formally established. The present Gothic Revival church, erected in 1902 and designed by Spokane master architect Herman Preusse, has served parishioners drawn from a roughly 70-square-mile area for more than a century and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1990). Today the parish is pastored together with neighboring St. Anne of Medical Lake by Fr. Mike Ishida under the umbrella name "West Plains Catholic Parishes," and is notable for offering both a Traditional Latin Mass and an English Mass each Sunday, with the churches always open for visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title Mary Queen of Heaven
- Rector
- Rev. Michael (Mike) Ishida
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
Mary Queen of Heaven welcomes Catholics from Sprague and a 70-square-mile stretch of the surrounding Lincoln County wheat and ranch land. It is one of the few parishes in the region to offer a Traditional Latin Mass every Sunday, alongside an English Mass, and both churches are kept open throughout the day for visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Under Fr. Mike Ishida the parish shares its life with St. Anne in Medical Lake as the West Plains Catholic Parishes, offering a small, faithful community rooted in a 1902 Gothic Revival landmark — a place to belong if you value the Traditional Mass, Eucharistic devotion, and the quiet permanence of a country parish.
Mass times at Mary Queen of Heaven
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday at 10:00 AM (before the Latin Mass)
Adoration times
- Church is open at all times for visits to the Blessed Sacrament
About Mary Queen of Heaven Parish
Mary Queen of Heaven is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Sprague, Washington, in the west-plains region of the Diocese of Spokane. The parish shares its pastor and administration with St. Anne of Medical Lake as the West Plains Catholic Parishes, and gathers Catholics from the small town of Sprague and a roughly 70-square-mile area of Lincoln County's wheat and ranch land.
- Parish name: Mary Queen of Heaven
- Location: Sprague, Lincoln County, Washington
- Diocese: Spokane
- Pastor: Rev. Michael (Mike) Ishida
- Parish grouping: West Plains Catholic Parishes (with St. Anne, Medical Lake)
History of the Parish
Catholic life in Sprague began in 1882 with the celebration of Mass in a mission chapel just east of the present church site. In 1883 the parish was formally established and a first church built — the same year Sprague itself was incorporated as a town along the Northern Pacific Railroad. The current Gothic Revival church was erected in 1902, designed by Spokane master architect Herman Preusse, and blessed by Bishop Edward John O'Dea of the Diocese of Nesqually. On April 26, 1990, the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882 — First Mass celebrated in a mission chapel east of the present site
- 1883 — Mary Queen of Heaven Parish established; first church built on site
- 1902 — Present Gothic Revival church erected; blessed by Bishop Edward John O'Dea of Nesqually
- 1990 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #90000675)
- Today — Paired with St. Anne, Medical Lake as West Plains Catholic Parishes
Architecture & Historic Landmark
The 1902 church is one of the finest surviving small-town Gothic Revival Catholic churches in Eastern Washington. Designed by Spokane master architect Herman Preusse (with P. L. Peterson) and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990, it is described as the most imposing architectural landmark in Sprague and its hinterland.
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Architect: Herman Preusse (Spokane master architect), with P. L. Peterson
- Year built: 1902
- Distinguishing features: pointed-arch stained-glass windows, ribbed arched ceiling, interior frescoes, gracefully proportioned steeple
- Recognition: National Register of Historic Places, NRHP #90000675 (added April 26, 1990)
Parish Staff & Clergy
Mary Queen of Heaven is served by a single pastor shared with St. Anne of Medical Lake as the West Plains Catholic Parishes. The parish office is administered out of the St. Anne mailing address in Medical Lake.
- Pastor: Rev. Michael (Mike) Ishida
- Diocesan role: Pastor of St. Anne, Medical Lake and Mary Queen of Heaven, Sprague
- Office phone: (509) 723-1459
- Sacramental emergency line: (509) 998-7093
West Plains Catholic Parishes (Joint Mission with St. Anne)
Mary Queen of Heaven and St. Anne of Medical Lake are paired as the West Plains Catholic Parishes under one pastor, one Flocknote network and one parish office. Together they serve the Catholic communities along the west plains of Eastern Washington — Medical Lake, Sprague, and surrounding rural areas.
- Pastor: Fr. Mike Ishida
- Sister parish: St. Anne Catholic Church, 708 East Lake St., Medical Lake, WA 99022
- Shared communications: Flocknote — text 'westplains' to 84576
- Combined office: PO Box 125, Medical Lake, WA 99022-0125
Visit, Contact & Stay Connected
Both West Plains churches — Mary Queen of Heaven in Sprague and St. Anne in Medical Lake — are always open for visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Parishioners and visitors are warmly encouraged to stop in for prayer throughout the day, and to sign up for Flocknote to receive the latest parish news by text or email.
- Address: 103 East Alder Ave, Sprague, WA 99032
- Office phone: (509) 723-1459
- Sacramental emergency: (509) 998-7093
- Website: http://www.westplainscatholicparishes.org/
- Diocese: Diocese of Spokane
- Sign up for Flocknote: text 'westplains' to 84576
- Bulletins & Info: archived PDFs available on the parish website
Notable & Distinctive Features
Mary Queen of Heaven has several features that make it stand out among the parishes of the Diocese of Spokane — from its age and architecture to its Latin Mass tradition and its enduring visibility on the Sprague landscape.
- One of the older Catholic parishes in Eastern Washington, founded 1882–1883
- Historic 1902 church designed by Herman Preusse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Tall spire has been a landmark visible for miles since 1902
- Weekly Traditional Latin Mass — uncommon in the region
- Churches kept open continuously for visits to the Blessed Sacrament
- Paired with St. Anne, Medical Lake as the West Plains Catholic Parishes
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael Ishidapresent
Current pastor of the West Plains Catholic Parishes (Mary Queen of Heaven, Sprague & St. Anne, Medical Lake)