About Our Lady of Sorrows · Cusick, Washington
Our Lady of Sorrows is a small Roman Catholic parish situated on the Kalispel Indian Reservation in Pend Oreille County, northeastern Washington, about 55 miles north of Spokane. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Spokane and is one of several parishes of the Pend Oreille County Catholic cluster, sharing pastoral coverage out of the cluster's New Usk/Newport/Metaline Falls area. The present Carpenter Gothic church was built in 1914 by the Jesuit circuit-riding missionary Fr. Joseph Griva, S.J., but the Kalispel Catholic community traces its roots back to 1840, when the first Mass in Pend Oreille County was celebrated in a riverside cave — the Manresa Grotto — that the tribe still uses today.
- Established
- 1840 (mission community); 1914 (present church building)
- Patron
- Our Lady of Sorrows (the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of her Seven Sorrows)
- Rector
- Rev. Victor Blazovich
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
Our Lady of Sorrows offers a rare opportunity to worship in one of the most historic small Catholic churches in the Inland Northwest — a 1914 Carpenter Gothic landmark built by Jesuit missionaries on the Kalispel Indian Reservation, where the Kalispel people have blended Catholic devotion with their traditional spiritual practices for nearly two centuries. The parish is part of the Pend Oreille County Catholic cluster, which means it is served by a dedicated priest who travels to celebrate Mass on the first and second Sundays of each month, while the cluster also provides regular confession, adoration, and additional Masses in nearby Usk, Newport, Metaline Falls, and Ione. Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed into a living community that still gathers at the Manresa Grotto each September 15 and around All Souls Day to pray for the dead, with funeral Masses sung in the Salish language.
Mass times at Our Lady of Sorrows
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Usk (Sacred Heart / cluster parish): Saturday 3:20–3:50 PM (except in July & August, when confessions follow the 5:30 PM Mass)
- Newport (cluster): First Saturday of the month, 9:00–9:45 AM
- Metaline Falls & Ione: Anytime Mass is celebrated (cluster-wide)
Adoration times
- Usk: Wednesdays 3:00–4:00 PM — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (cluster)
History of Our Lady of Sorrows
Catholicism arrived on the Kalispel Indian Reservation in the early 19th century through Jesuit missionaries. In 1840 the first Mass in Pend Oreille County was celebrated in a riverside cave — the Manresa Grotto — that remains an active sacred site. The present church was designed and built in 1914 by Fr. Joseph Griva, S.J., and the parish has been central to Kalispel Catholic life ever since, even through the post-1960s decline in attendance and the 1948 flood that forced the community to physically move the church to higher ground.
- 1840 — First Mass in Pend Oreille County celebrated at the Manresa Grotto on the Kalispel Reservation
- Early 19th century — Kalispel delegations travel to St. Louis requesting Jesuit 'black robes' to teach them
- 1914 — Our Lady of Sorrows Church constructed under the direction of Fr. Joseph Griva, S.J. (February–August)
- 1948 — Church physically relocated to higher ground by 20+ Tribal Members using logs and horses after a massive flood
- 1960s — Regular Mass attendance begins to decline, reflecting national trends
- Late 1970s onward — Revival efforts supported by tribal programs including the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations and the Camas Institute
- 2024 — Church restored to its original infrastructure
The Manresa Grotto
The Manresa Grotto is a riverside cave on the Kalispel Reservation where, in 1840, the very first Mass in Pend Oreille County was celebrated. The grotto was named by Father DeSmet for the famous cave in Spain in which St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, meditated. Rows of flat stones are arranged as seating before a simple stone altar, and the space measures roughly 60 feet wide by 25 feet deep. It is still used annually for a Mass on or near September 15, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
- Named by Father DeSmet for the Manresa Cave in Spain where St. Ignatius meditated
- Site of the first Mass in Pend Oreille County (1840)
- Annual Mass celebrated on or near September 15 (feast of Our Lady of Sorrows)
- Geological formation believed shaped by wind and waves of an ancient glacial lake
The 1914 Church Building
The present Our Lady of Sorrows Church is a notable example of Carpenter Gothic architecture — a wood-frame pioneer style common in Washington and Oregon. Fr. Joseph Griva, S.J., supplied the detailed designs, and professional carpenters erected the building between February and August 1914. Originally sited on a floodplain, the church was later moved to higher ground after a 1948 flood. In 2024 it was restored to its original infrastructure, preserving its historical integrity as a Kalispel Tribal landmark.
- Style: Carpenter Gothic
- Designer: Fr. Joseph Griva, S.J.
- Construction: February–August 1914
- Relocated: 1948, after a major Pend Oreille River flood
- Restoration: 2024 (to original infrastructure)
Kalispel Catholic Community Life
Our Lady of Sorrows is more than a building — it is the spiritual home of a small but devoted Kalispel Catholic community. Many dried flowers and small statues from funeral Masses adorn the back wall of the sanctuary. The largest Masses celebrated are funeral Masses, which are so large they are typically held in the Community Building down the road, with an overnight rosary vigil the night before. Mass songs during these gatherings are sung in the Salish language, and the full funeral — rosary, Mass, Native American reflections, burial, and shared meal — often spans several hours.
- Funeral Masses typically held in the Community Building due to size
- Overnight rosary vigil the night before a funeral
- Songs sung in the Salish language
- All Souls Day Mass on the Saturday closest to November 2, followed by a community dinner
- Annual Grotto Mass at Manresa on or near September 15
Devotions and Special Observances
Beyond weekly Mass, the parish and cluster observe several distinctive devotional traditions rooted in Kalispel Catholic life. The annual Grotto Mass at the Manresa Grotto on or near September 15 honors the parish's patron. A large All Souls Day Mass on the Saturday closest to November 2 gathers the community to pray for and remember all who have died, followed by a community dinner. Funeral Masses are central to community life and blend Catholic liturgy with Kalispel cultural expressions, including Salish-language hymnody.
- Patronal Feast (Our Lady of Sorrows) — September 15
- All Souls Day Mass and community dinner
- Funeral liturgies with overnight rosary vigil
- Salish-language hymnody at funeral and community Masses
- Wednesday Rosary at Metaline Falls (cluster, 8:30 AM)
Cluster Parishes and Contact
Our Lady of Sorrows on the Kalispel Reservation is served together with the other Pend Oreille County Catholic Parishes. St. Anthony Parish Office Hours are Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM. The cluster email is [email protected] and the parish phone numbers listed by the Diocese of Spokane and Join My Church are (509) 447-2685 and (509) 446-2651.
- Parish website: http://pocoparishes.org/kalispel
- Cluster website: https://www.pocoparishes.org/
- Cluster email: [email protected]
- Phone (Diocese listing): (509) 447-2685
- Phone (rectory line): (509) 446-2651
- Office address: 406 Park Street, Metaline Falls, WA 99153
Restoration and Preservation
Our Lady of Sorrows Church was restored in 2024 to its original infrastructure, preserving it as a Kalispel Tribal landmark. The project was undertaken by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians as part of the Tribe's ongoing commitment to honoring the spiritual and cultural heritage of the community, including the synthesis of Catholic practice with traditional Kalispel spirituality — elements such as holy water and incense that parallel the Tribe's traditional use of water and sweet grass in ritual.
- Restoration completed 2024
- Led by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians
- Preserves Carpenter Gothic original fabric
- Honored as a significant tribal cultural landmark