About Our Lady of Guadalupe · Granger, Washington
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Granger, a small agricultural town in the lower Yakima Valley of central Washington. It belongs to the Diocese of Yakima and is pastored by Rev. Tomas Vidal, who also serves Immaculate Conception Parish in nearby Mabton. The parish ministers to the largely Spanish-speaking farmworker community of the Yakima Valley, with the great majority of its Masses — including all weekday Masses and most Sunday Masses — celebrated in Spanish, and only the Sunday 9:00 a.m. liturgy in English. Parish life is built around daily Mass, 24/7 adoration in the chapel, a weekly Thursday Holy Hour, confession during that Holy Hour, and a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe that gives the parish its name.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- Our Lady of Guadalupe (Virgen de Guadalupe)
- Rector
- Rev. Gustavo Gomez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the spiritual home for Granger's predominantly Spanish-speaking farmworker families in the lower Yakima Valley, and it welcomes anyone seeking that community. Daily Mass in Spanish, an always-open adoration chapel, a Thursday evening Holy Hour with confession, and the strong Marian devotion at the heart of the parish make it a place where faith is lived out day by day. Because Rev. Tomas Vidal also pastors Immaculate Conception in Mabton, the parish is part of a tight-knit cluster of Valley communities serving one another's spiritual and sacramental needs.
Mass times at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (during the Holy Hour, before the 6:00 p.m. Mass)
Adoration times
- 24/7 in the Chapel
- Thursday 6:00 p.m. (Holy Hour, following the 6:00 p.m. Spanish Mass)
About Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Granger, Washington, in the lower Yakima Valley, that has served the largely Spanish-speaking farmworker community of the region since 1966. It is part of the Diocese of Yakima and is currently pastored by Rev. Tomas Vidal, who also serves Immaculate Conception Parish in Mabton. The parish is bilingual in character, with the great majority of its liturgies celebrated in Spanish and only the Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass in English.
- Parish founded: 1966
- Diocese: Yakima
- Bishop: Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson, D.D.
- Languages: English and Spanish
History
The Granger Catholic community was organized under what was originally called St. Patrick's Parish, served by Diocese of Yakima priests such as Father John F. Heneghan. As the Mexican-American farmworker population grew, the parish was rededicated as Our Lady of Guadalupe, taking the name of the patroness of Mexico. The parish's contact email — [email protected] — reflects 1966 as the founding year of the present parish identity, and a community summer fiesta has been celebrated since those earliest years, growing into a multi-day event with Aztec dancers, food, music, and fireworks.
- Original name: St. Patrick's Parish, Granger
- Rededicated as Our Lady of Guadalupe to match the community's identity
- Annual summer fiesta has been a community tradition since 1966
- Father John F. Heneghan (ordained 1955) served as administrator of the Granger parish
Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently led by Rev. Tomas Vidal, who serves simultaneously as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Granger and Immaculate Conception in Mabton. The parish sits within the Diocese of Yakima, whose seventh bishop, Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson, D.D., was installed on May 31, 2011, and serves as the parish's shepherd.
- Pastor's email: [email protected]
- Bishop of Yakima: Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson, D.D.
- Shared pastorship with Immaculate Conception, Mabton
Parish Office & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person during office hours. The parish is registered in Washington State as a religious conversion under its mailing address.
- Phone: 509-854-1181
- Email: [email protected]
- Physical address: 608 "E" Avenue, Granger, WA 98932
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 308, Granger, WA 98932
- Office hours: Tuesday – Friday, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Community Life & Fiesta
The Our Lady of Guadalupe summer fiesta, started by parishioners in 1966, has long been a centerpiece of parish and town life. Originally a several-day celebration, it has at various points been a one-day festival and was later revitalized into a multi-day event open to the whole community. The fiesta typically features Aztec dancers in traditional costumes with 'chachatotl' seed-shaker leggings, drums whose beat is meant to represent a heartbeat, food, dancing, music, beauty contests, and fireworks — a living link between Mexican heritage and Catholic faith.
- Fiesta tradition since 1966
- Aztec dancers and traditional drumming
- Open to the wider Granger community
- Held on parish grounds
Diocese & Bishop
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish is part of the Diocese of Yakima. The current bishop is Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson, D.D., the seventh Bishop of Yakima, installed on May 31, 2011. A native of Moses Lake, Washington, ordained in 1989 for the Archdiocese of Seattle, Bishop Tyson has earned degrees from the University of Washington and the Catholic University of America. He serves nationally as Episcopal Liaison for the Catholic Climate Covenant, Episcopal Moderator for the Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network, and on several USCCB committees, including those on Hispanic Affairs and Migration.
- Diocese of Yakima — established as a diocese in 1951
- Seventh Bishop of Yakima: Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson, D.D.
- Installed May 31, 2011
- Diocesan offices: 5301-A Tieton Drive, Yakima, WA 98908
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Tomas VidalCurrent (as of recent parish listings)
Also serves as Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Mabton; contact email [email protected].
- Rev. Gustavo Gómez SantosUntil May 2017
From Guadalajara, Mexico; ordained in Yakima in 2002. Permanently removed from public ministry by Bishop Joseph Tyson in May 2017 after a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. Previously served at Grandview, Mabton, East Wenatchee, Benton City, Mattawa, and St. Juan Diego in Cowiche.
- Rev. John F. HeneghanEarlier in parish history
Diocese of Yakima priest (ordained 1955) who served as administrator of St. Patrick's Parish in Granger — the parish's original name — before it was renamed Our Lady of Guadalupe. Also served Christ the King (Richland), St. Henry's (Grand Coulee), St. Pius X (Quincy), Holy Trinity (Goldendale), and was pastor of St. Paul Cathedral, Yakima. Died in 2012 in Ireland.