About Our Lady of Fatima · Moses Lake, Washington
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in Moses Lake, Washington, established in 1955 and part of the Diocese of Yakima. The parish serves the Columbia Basin community at 200 N. Dale Road, offering more than a dozen weekly Masses, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, regular confessions, and ministries spanning religious education, a preschool, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul outreach, a soup kitchen, a sister-parish relationship with Haiti, music and liturgy programs, and a Columbarium/Prayer Garden on its grounds. Its patron is Our Lady of Fátima, the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the 1917 apparitions at Fátima, Portugal.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fátima (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Fátima, commemorating the 1917 Marian apparitions at Fátima, Portugal)
- Rector
- Rev. César Vega
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
Our Lady of Fatima is one of the most pastorally active Catholic parishes in the Columbia Basin: it offers a deep liturgical life with more than a dozen weekly Masses in English and Spanish, a perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel, a robust Holy Hour, and three weekly confession slots. Parishioners can join a wide range of ministries — Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, soup kitchen, bereavement group, music ministry, altar service, adult faith formation, That Man Is You (TMIY!), Hispanic ministries (RICA, La Búsqueda, Arcoiris, Amigos del Corazón de Jesús), the Haiti sister-parish mission, a Columbarium/Prayer Garden, and the Children of Fatima preschool — making it a natural spiritual home for families, Spanish-speaking Catholics, and anyone looking for an engaged bilingual community in the Moses Lake area.
Mass times at Our Lady of Fatima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
- Thursday 6:00 p.m. – 6:50 p.m. (during Holy Hour, when a priest is present)
- Saturday 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 a.m. – Midnight (Perpetual Adoration)
- Tuesday 7:00 a.m. – Midnight (Perpetual Adoration, 24-hour coverage Tue–Fri)
- Wednesday 24 hours (Perpetual Adoration)
- Thursday 24 hours (Perpetual Adoration) plus Holy Hour / Hora Santa 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Friday 24 hours through Saturday (Perpetual Adoration)
Parish Identity & History
Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Moses Lake, Washington, was established in 1955 within the Diocese of Yakima and serves the Columbia Basin of central Washington. The parish takes its name from the Marian apparition title Our Lady of Fátima, commemorating the 1917 apparitions at Fátima, Portugal. A signature recent milestone was the demolition and full rebuild of the Fatima Center (210 N. Dale Road), an 18,200-square-foot parish hall with nine classrooms, a commercial-grade kitchen, restrooms with showers, and a great room; it was dedicated at a ribbon-cutting and open house on January 8, 2023, by then-pastor Father Daniel Dufner. In 2024, Bishop Joseph J. Tyson reassigned Fr. Dufner to Holy Family, Yakima, and appointed Fr. César Vega as the new pastor effective Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
- Founded: 1955
- Diocese: Yakima
- Patron: Our Lady of Fátima (feast day May 13)
- Fatima Center dedicated: January 2023
- Current pastor: Rev. César Vega (since Feb. 14, 2024)
Parish Leadership & Clergy
Our Lady of Fatima is led by pastor Rev. César Vega, appointed by Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima effective Ash Wednesday (February 14) 2024. Fr. Vega previously served as pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Yakima and undertook a study sabbatical in Rome and the Middle East before taking up the Moses Lake assignment. His immediate predecessor, Rev. Daniel (Dan) J. Dufner, served as pastor of Our Lady of Fatima from 2011 until February 14, 2024; he was reassigned to Holy Family, Yakima. Fr. Dufner was ordained in May 1996 by then-Bishop (later Cardinal) Francis George, holds a B.S. in Microbiology from Washington State University, and is known for preaching on the harmony of science and faith. He previously served parishes in Kennewick, Chelan, Bridgeport, Sunnyside, Mansfield, Cashmere, and Leavenworth, and oversaw the Queen of All Saints mission in Warden until 2019. The parish also maintains a Parish Leadership team whose page is published on olf.church/welcome/staff/.
- Current pastor: Rev. César Vega (since Feb. 14, 2024)
- Previous pastor: Rev. Daniel J. Dufner (2011 – Feb. 14, 2024)
- Diocesan bishop: Joseph J. Tyson, Diocese of Yakima
Parish Life & Ministries
The parish supports an unusually broad network of lay ministries. They include the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul conference, a parish Soup Kitchen, a Bereavement Group, Sunday Hospitality and a Welcome Committee for newcomers, an Arts & Environment committee, a Liturgy Board, Music Ministries (including adult choir), TMIY! (That Man Is You!) men's faith group, a Gift Shop, a Funeral Reception ministry, a Volunteer Opportunities sign-up, and a New Building Committee that oversaw the Fatima Center rebuild. The Columbarium / Prayer Garden on the parish grounds offers a space for prayer and memorialization of loved ones.
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Soup Kitchen
- Bereavement Group
- Music Ministries (adult choir)
- Liturgy Board
- Arts & Environment
- TMIY! (That Man Is You!)
- Funeral Reception ministry
- Welcome Committee / Sunday Hospitality
- Columbarium / Prayer Garden
- Gift Shop
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish operates a full Faith Formation program for children and youth, including Religious Education for K–5th grade, a Youth Group, and Adult Faith Formation for ongoing spiritual growth. The parish also runs the Children of Fatima Preschool, which serves the wider Moses Lake community. Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion/First Reconciliation, Confirmation) and marriage preparation are coordinated through the parish office, with RCIA offered in English and the parallel RICA program offered in Spanish.
- Religious Education (K–5th grade)
- Youth Group
- Adult Faith Formation
- Children of Fatima Preschool
- RCIA (English) and RICA (Spanish)
- Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage)
Hispanic Ministries / Ministerios Hispanos
Our Lady of Fatima is a fully bilingual parish with an extensive Hispanic ministry program. Spanish-language Masses are offered every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m., Saturday Vigil at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. (live-streamed). The Spanish Faith Formation program includes K–5th grade Spanish Religious Education, RICA (Spanish RCIA), La Búsqueda (a retreat-style ministry), Arcoiris, Amigos del Corazón de Jesús, and Spanish Adult Ministries. A monthly First Friday Spanish Mass at 7:00 p.m. and a bilingual First Saturday Mass at 7:00 a.m. round out the schedule.
- Spanish Masses: Tue/Thu 7 p.m., Sat Vigil 7 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m. (live-streamed)
- RICA — Spanish RCIA
- La Búsqueda
- Arcoiris
- Amigos del Corazón de Jesús
- K–5th grade Spanish Religious Education
- Spanish Adult Ministries
- First Friday Spanish Mass 7 p.m.; First Saturday bilingual Mass 7 a.m.
Outreach, Charity & Mission
Charitable outreach is central to the parish's identity. The St. Vincent de Paul conference and parish Soup Kitchen serve local residents in need; HARC supports accessibility and community-resource connections; and the parish has a long-standing sister-parish relationship with a community in Laborde, Haiti. Beginning around 2013 under then-pastor Fr. Daniel Dufner and Deacon Tim, the parish raised funds to support an Our Lady of Fatima Chapel in Haiti and to assist with education, food programs, and rebuilding after hurricane damage. Bereavement support is offered through the parish Bereavement Group, and Funeral Reception volunteers help grieving families with parish-hosted meals.
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Soup Kitchen
- HARC (community/accessibility)
- Haiti sister-parish mission (Laborde, Haiti — Our Lady of Fatima Chapel)
- Bereavement Group
- Funeral Reception ministry
Facilities: Fatima Center, Cemetery & Columbarium
The parish campus includes the main church at 200 N. Dale Road and the new Fatima Center at 210 N. Dale Road. The 18,200-square-foot Fatima Center was dedicated in January 2023 after a demolition-and-rebuild project started just before the COVID-19 pandemic; it houses nine classrooms, a commercial-grade kitchen, restrooms with showers, and a large great room used for religious instruction, retreats, receptions, and the soup kitchen. The parish also maintains the Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church Cemetery on N. Dale Road in Moses Lake (Find a Grave ID 2358622) and a Columbarium / Prayer Garden on the parish grounds for inurnment and quiet prayer.
- Fatima Center: 210 N. Dale Road (dedicated Jan. 8, 2023)
- 9 classrooms, commercial kitchen, showers, great room (18,200 sq ft)
- Our Lady of Fatima Cemetery: 200 N. Dale Road
- Columbarium / Prayer Garden on parish grounds
Visiting, Contact & Practical Info
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The mailing address is 200 N. Dale Road, Moses Lake, WA 98837-1647. Phone: (509) 765-6729; fax (509) 765-0114. General email: [email protected]. The official parish website is olf.church, and the official Facebook page is facebook.com/olf.moseslake. Both Sunday Masses (8:30 a.m. English and 11:30 a.m. Spanish) are live-streamed for the homebound and traveling faithful. Visitors and newcomers are welcomed by the parish Welcome Committee and Sunday Hospitality team.
- Office: Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed 12–1 p.m.)
- Phone: (509) 765-6729
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: olf.church
- Facebook: facebook.com/olf.moseslake
- Live-streamed Sunday Masses: 8:30 a.m. English / 11:30 a.m. Spanish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel (Dan) J. Dufner2011 – February 14, 2024
Long-serving pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Moses Lake; simultaneously oversaw Queen of All Saints Church in Warden until 2019; oversaw the demolition and rebuild of the Fatima Center (dedicated January 2023); ordained May 1996 by Bishop Francis George; Wenatchee native; biology graduate of WSU; previously served Kennewick (St. Joseph), Chelan (St. Francis de Sales), Bridgeport (St. Anne), Sunnyside (St. Joseph), Mansfield (St. Mary), and Cashmere (St. Francis Xavier) / Leavenworth (Our Lady of the Snows). Reassigned by Bishop Joseph Tyson to Holy Family, Yakima, on Ash Wednesday 2024.
- Rev. César VegaFebruary 14, 2024 – present
Appointed pastor of Our Lady of Fatima by Bishop Joseph J. Tyson effective Ash Wednesday (February 14) 2024; previously pastor of Holy Family, Yakima; completed a study sabbatical in Rome and the Middle East before taking the Moses Lake assignment.