About Noxon Mission [Sanders County Catholic Community] · Noxon, Montana
Noxon Mission is a Roman Catholic mission church serving the small community of Noxon in Sanders County, western Montana. It is one of two missions in the Sanders County Catholic Community pastoral unit, alongside Sacred Heart Mission in Hot Springs, and is officially a mission of St. William Parish in Thompson Falls. The mission is pastored by Father Jeffrey Benusa and shares its sacramental and administrative life with St. William and St. James parishes under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. Mass is celebrated on Saturday evenings in the mission's simple Broadway Avenue location.
- Rector
- Father Jeffrey Benusa
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
Why belong here
Noxon Mission offers the small Noxon-area Catholic community a regular Saturday Vigil Mass at 4 p.m., bringing the Eucharist to a rural part of Sanders County that otherwise has limited Catholic worship options. As part of the Sanders County Catholic Community, parishioners benefit from a shared pastor in Father Jeffrey Benusa, the support of two senior deacons (Deacon Ronald Kazmierczak and Deacon Lynn McAtee), and the broader sacramental and parish life of St. William Parish in Thompson Falls. It is a welcoming mission where confession is available by appointment and where families are connected to youth ministry and other parish programs coordinated across the pastoral unit.
Mass times at Noxon Mission [Sanders County Catholic Community]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
Sanders County Catholic Community
Noxon Mission is part of the Sanders County Catholic Community, a pastoral unit within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena that unites two parishes and two missions across Sanders County, Montana. The community is comprised of St. William Parish in Thompson Falls and St. James Parish in Plains, together with two missions: Noxon Mission in Noxon and Sacred Heart Mission in Hot Springs. This collaborative structure allows a single pastor and shared staff to serve the Catholics scattered across the rural county.
- St. William Parish, Thompson Falls (parish)
- St. James Parish, Plains (parish)
- Noxon Mission, Noxon (mission)
- Sacred Heart Mission, Hot Springs (mission)
- Pastoral unit administered from Thompson Falls
Noxon Mission at a Glance
Noxon Mission is a mission of St. William Parish, Thompson Falls, located at 200 Broadway in Noxon, Montana. Although it has its own street address in the small town of Noxon, the mission shares its mailing address with St. William Parish (P.O. Box 186, Thompson Falls, MT 59873), the same phone line (406-827-4433), and the same email contact ([email protected]). This arrangement reflects the way small Montana missions are administered as part of a wider pastoral unit rather than as fully independent parishes.
- Physical address: 200 Broadway, Noxon, MT 59853
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 186, Thompson Falls, MT 59873
- Phone: 406-827-4433
- Email: [email protected]
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The mission is served by the same pastoral team that ministers across the Sanders County Catholic Community. Father Jeffrey Benusa serves as pastor of St. William Parish and, through that role, as the priestly minister to Noxon Mission. Two senior-status permanent deacons — Deacon Ronald Kazmierczak and Deacon Lynn McAtee — assist with liturgical and pastoral ministry throughout the community. The mission also has its own local contact in Don Orso, while parish secretarial and bookkeeping work is handled by Sandra Wulfekuhle.
- Father Jeffrey Benusa — Pastor
- Deacon Ronald Kazmierczak — Permanent Deacon, Senior Status
- Deacon Lynn McAtee — Permanent Deacon, Senior Status
- Don Orso — Local mission contact
- Sandra Wulfekuhle — Secretary/Bookkeeper
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
Noxon Mission offers a regular weekly Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m., which may be celebrated either as Mass or as a Word and Communion service depending on the priest's availability that week. Because Noxon Mission is part of a multi-site pastoral unit served by one priest, weekday Masses, additional devotions, and the parish's regular reconciliation hours are offered at St. William Church in Thompson Falls. Confession at Noxon Mission is available by appointment.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m. (Mass or Word & Communion)
- Reconciliation: by appointment
- Weekday Masses, Adoration, Rosary, and Evening Prayer: celebrated at St. William, Thompson Falls
Connection to St. William Parish, Thompson Falls
Because Noxon Mission is a mission of St. William Parish, parishioners in Noxon are also members of the St. William community and have access to its full sacramental and devotional life. St. William offers Sunday Mass at 8:45 a.m., weekday Mass on Monday and Wednesday at 12:05 p.m., and Tuesday Mass on the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month at 8:30 a.m., plus Holy Day Masses as announced. Reconciliation there is offered on the 1st Friday from 11:15 a.m. to noon and on the 4th Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
- St. William Sunday Mass: 8:45 a.m.
- St. William Weekday Masses: Mon. & Wed. 12:05 p.m.; 2nd & 4th Tues. 8:30 a.m.
- St. William Reconciliation: 1st Fri. 11:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.; 4th Sat. 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Devotions and Prayer Life
The mission shares in the devotional life centered at St. William Parish in Thompson Falls. Across the pastoral unit, regular devotions include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the Rosary prayed before Sunday Mass at 8:15 a.m., and Evening Prayer on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. These communal prayer opportunities are open to all members of the Sanders County Catholic Community, including those worshipping at Noxon Mission.
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — 2nd & 4th Tuesday, 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (at St. William)
- Rosary — Sunday, 8:15 a.m. (at St. William)
- Evening Prayer — Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. (at St. William)
Diocesan Context and Pastoral Planning
Noxon Mission falls within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena's Kalispell Deanery. In the diocese's pastoral planning documents for the deanery, the Noxon worship site has historically been called 'St. Augustine Mission,' and at one point it was discussed as a candidate for designation as a 'Church of Occasional Worship,' with the frequency of Mass recommended by the pastor of St. William and St. James and approved by the Bishop. In current diocesan listings, however, Noxon Mission is shown as an active mission with a regular Saturday Mass and an identifiable local contact.
- Deanery: Kalispell Deanery, Diocese of Helena
- Alternate historical name in deanery plans: St. Augustine Mission
- Pastoral planning status: active mission with regular Saturday Mass
Visiting and Contacting the Mission
Visitors and parishioners can reach the mission through the shared parish office in Thompson Falls. The phone line (406-827-4433), email ([email protected]), and mailing address (P.O. Box 186, Thompson Falls, MT 59873) all connect directly to St. William Parish, which administers the mission on behalf of the Sanders County Catholic Community. For sacramental needs such as confession or anointing of the sick, arrangements can be made by contacting the parish office; for routine parish business, the secretary/bookkeeper Sandra Wulfekuhle can assist.
- Phone: 406-827-4433
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: P.O. Box 186, Thompson Falls, MT 59873
- Physical location: 200 Broadway, Noxon, MT 59853