About Our Lady of Lourdes · Fruitland, Washington
Our Lady of Lourdes is a small Roman Catholic parish located in the West End community of Fruitland, in Stevens County, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Locally known as "Little Rock Church," it was dedicated on September 11, 1938, and was originally served as a mission from nearby Sacred Heart Church in Wellpinit. Since 1988 it has been a parish in its own right, and today it is grouped with St. Philip Benizi in Ford and Sacred Heart in Wellpinit under the pastoral care of the Diocese of Spokane.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Rev. Richard Semple
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lourdes offers a small, rooted Catholic community on the Spokane Indian Reservation, where parishioners can worship in the Spokan tradition at a historic 1938 church and its hilltop cemetery. As part of a tight-knit family of parishes that includes St. Philip Benizi in Ford and Sacred Heart in Wellpinit, visitors join a community where Mass is shared across three reservation locations and the faith is passed down generationally. It is a place to encounter the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Lourdes, in a setting of striking rural quiet and deep local identity.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lourdes
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity & Community
Our Lady of Lourdes is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Spokane, rooted in the West End of the Spokane Indian Reservation and serving the Spokan (Spokane) people. Although its mailing address is in Wellpinit, the physical church sits on West End Road in Fruitland, in Stevens County. Locally the community has long referred to the church as 'Little Rock Church,' a name that survives alongside its formal Marian title.
- Roman Catholic parish
- Diocese of Spokane
- Located on the Spokane Indian Reservation
- Also known as Little Rock Church
- Mailing: PO Box 214, Wellpinit, WA 99040
History
Our Lady of Lourdes Church was dedicated on September 11, 1938. From 1943 to 1972 the community was served as a mission by Spokane diocesan priests stationed at Sacred Heart in Wellpinit. From 1972 onward, Jesuit priests of the Oregon and Western Provinces took over responsibility for Sacred Heart and began attending to Our Lady of Lourdes as well. In 1988, Our Lady of Lourdes was formally established as its own parish, and the Jesuits continued to administer it along with neighboring St. Philip Benizi in Ford and Sacred Heart in Wellpinit.
- Church dedicated September 11, 1938
- 1943–1972: served as a mission by diocesan priests from Sacred Heart, Wellpinit
- 1972–1988: Jesuits administered the mission
- 1988: elevated to parish status
- Jesuits have administered the parish since 1988
Parish Grouping & Pastoral Care
Our Lady of Lourdes is grouped with neighboring reservation parishes and is pastored from the wider deanery. According to the Diocese of Spokane priest directory, Rev. Richard Semple is pastor of the grouping that includes Immaculate Conception in Davenport, St. Francis of Assisi in Harrington, St. Michael in Reardan, and the Spokane Reservation parishes of Ford and Wellpinit — the last of which encompasses St. Philip Benizi (Ford), Sacred Heart (Wellpinit), and Our Lady of Lourdes (West End/Fruitland). Sacramental records for the parish are preserved in the diocesan archives and have been documented in Marquette University's Guide to Catholic Records About Native Americans.
- Pastored by Rev. Richard Semple (per Diocese of Spokane directory)
- Grouped with St. Philip Benizi (Ford) and Sacred Heart (Wellpinit)
- Phone: (509) 725-1761
- Mailing: PO Box 214, Wellpinit, WA 99040
Mass & Worship Schedule
Sunday Mass is celebrated across the three reservation locations that share pastoral care. At Our Lady of Lourdes itself, Mass is offered on Sunday at 2:30 PM. The companion parishes celebrate Mass earlier in the day — St. Philip Benizi in Ford at 10:30 AM and Sacred Heart in Wellpinit at 12:30 PM — making it possible for parishioners and visitors to attend Mass at any of the three sites on a single Sunday.
- Sunday, 10:30 AM — Mass at St. Philip Benizi, Ford
- Sunday, 12:30 PM — Mass at Sacred Heart, Wellpinit
- Sunday, 2:30 PM — Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, Fruitland (West End)
Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery (Little Rock Cemetery)
Behind the church, on the hill, sits the Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery — also called the Little Rock Cemetery. Maintained by the parish and owned by the Spokane Catholic Diocese, it contains some 44 documented burials, with the earliest death date recorded as 1943. The cemetery and the church together form the heart of this small West End community, and the names recorded there trace the Spokan Catholic families of the reservation across generations.
- Located on the hill directly behind the church
- Owned by the Spokane Catholic Diocese, maintained by the parish
- 44 documented burials
- Earliest death date: 1943
- Also known as the Little Rock Cemetery
Location & Directions
The parish is reached by following Highway 25 west, then turning right just past the Enterprise Grange Hall and crossing over to old Highway 22 (now the Wellpinit–McCoy Lake Road), located just past the Fruitland Bible Camp. From there, travel about three miles — the church sits on the right of the road, with the cemetery on the hill behind it. All access is via paved roads.
- 6242 West End Road, Fruitland, WA 99129
- On the Spokane Indian Reservation
- Reached via Highway 25 west to old Highway 22 (Wellpinit–McCoy Lake Road)
- About three miles from the Highway 25 turn-off
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Spokane diocesan priests (from Sacred Heart, Wellpinit)1943–1972
Served Our Lady of Lourdes as a mission from Sacred Heart.
- Jesuits (Oregon / Western Provinces)1972–1988
Administered the mission from Sacred Heart, Wellpinit.
- Jesuits1988–present
After 1988, when the mission was elevated to parish status, the Jesuits continued to administer Our Lady of Lourdes along with St. Philip Benizi (Ford) and Sacred Heart (Wellpinit).