About Our Lady of Mount Carmel · Chiloquin, Oregon
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the rural community of Chiloquin in the Klamath Basin of south-central Oregon. It belongs to the Diocese of Baker, one of the largest U.S. dioceses by geography, and is administered together with the mission church of St. James in Bly. The parish has historically been a predominantly Native American (Klamath and Modoc) community of faith and remains a vital spiritual home for Catholics scattered across the high desert of Klamath County. Weekend liturgies, weekday Masses, the sacraments and faith formation for surrounding ranching and tribal communities are all provided from the parish's location on West Chocktoot Street.
- Established
- ca. 1908 (as a mission); 1925 (elevated to a parish)
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Polimetla
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baker
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mount Carmel offers a faithful Catholic home in a part of Oregon where parishes are few and far between. With Sunday Mass year-round, weekday Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Mass or by appointment, and Holy Day liturgies, the parish keeps the full rhythm of Catholic life accessible to families in Chiloquin, Bly, Beatty, and Sprague River. Rooted in the Klamath and Modoc Catholic tradition since 1908, it is a place where Native and non-Native parishioners worship together as one small, close-knit community of faith.
Mass times at Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday before Mass (around 8:30 AM)
- Or by appointment
Parish History
Our Lady of Mount Carmel began ca. 1908 as a Jesuit mission on the Klamath Indian Reservation, served from Sacred Heart Church in Klamath Falls by priests of the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits ministered to Klamath and Modoc families for roughly seventeen years before the mission was raised to parish status in 1925. From 1925 to the present, diocesan priests of the Diocese of Baker have shepherded the community, and the parish's sacramental registers — baptisms, marriages, and burials — have been preserved in the diocesan archives since that year.
- ca. 1908 — founded as a mission
- Attended by Oregon Province Jesuits from Sacred Heart, Klamath Falls, 1908–1925
- 1925 — elevated to a parish of the Diocese of Baker
- Predominantly Klamath and Modoc Catholic community throughout its history
Parish Identity & Community
The parish takes its name from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary especially dear to the Carmelites and widely venerated in the Catholic Church. As a small rural parish in the high desert of Klamath County, Our Lady of Mount Carmel serves Catholics spread across the Klamath Basin — including the communities of Chiloquin, Bly, Beatty, and Sprague River. Its patroness's feast day is July 16.
- Patron: Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Feast day: July 16
- Region served: Klamath Basin (Chiloquin, Bly, Beatty, Sprague River)
Pastor & Clergy
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is currently served by Rev. Thomas Polimetla, who is pastor of the parish and of the mission church of St. James in Bly. The parish is administered from the rectory at 503 West Chocktoot Street and shares staff with the mission. The same pastor has guided both communities through the COVID-19 pandemic, partnering with Klamath Tribal Health in 2021 to secure early vaccinations for roughly twenty parishioners from Chiloquin, Bly, Beatty, and Sprague River.
- Rev. Thomas Polimetla — Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Chiloquin, and St. James, Bly
- Parish Secretary: Rosemarie Dobbs
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
The parish offers a regular weekly schedule of Masses throughout the year. A Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated in the evening, and a Sunday morning Mass is offered year-round for parishioners and visitors from across the Klamath Basin. Weekday Masses are celebrated Monday through Friday, with a Wednesday evening Mass in place of the morning one. Holy Day Masses are scheduled in the evening.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:30 PM
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 AM (year-round)
- Weekday Mass — 9:00 AM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
- Wednesday — 6:00 PM
- Holy Day Mass — 7:00 PM
Sacraments
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is offered before Sunday Mass (typically around 8:30 AM) and can also be arranged by appointment with the pastor. Other sacraments — Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick — are coordinated through the parish office; parishioners are encouraged to call the rectory to make arrangements with Fr. Polimetla.
- Reconciliation: before Sunday Mass or by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick: by arrangement
Linked Mission: St. James, Bly
Our Lady of Mount Carmel shares its pastor with the mission church of St. James in Bly, a small rural community along Highway 140 east of Klamath Falls. The two parishes are linked administratively — Father Polimetla is pastor of both — and the parish Facebook page carries bulletins and announcements for both communities. Together they form a single pastoral unit serving Catholics across a wide swath of south-central Oregon.
- St. James Catholic Church of Bly, Inc. — Highway 140, Bly, OR 97622
- Same pastor: Rev. Thomas Polimetla
- Joint Facebook presence: 'Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Chiloquin – St James, Bly'
Contact & Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by mail at P.O. Box 396, Chiloquin, OR 97624, or in person at 503 West Chocktoot Street, Chiloquin, Oregon. The rectory telephone number is (541) 783-2411, and the parish email is [email protected]. The parish's canonical and corporate home is within the Diocese of Baker, whose offices are in Redmond, Oregon.
- Address: 503 W. Chocktoot Street, Chiloquin, OR 97624
- Mailing: P.O. Box 396, Chiloquin, OR 97624
- Phone: (541) 783-2411
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese: Diocese of Baker (Redmond, OR)
Online Presence & Communications
The parish maintains a Facebook page titled 'Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Chiloquin – St James, Bly' (facebook.com/OLMCCC), where the Sunday bulletin, schedule changes, and community announcements are posted. Listings on the Diocese of Baker parish finder, GCatholic, and Catholic Directory provide the basic contact and schedule information that visitors and traveling Catholics most often look up.
- Facebook: facebook.com/OLMCCC
- Diocese of Baker parish finder listing
- GCatholic ID 37270