About Our Lady of Swan Valley Mission · Condon, Montana
Our Lady of Swan Valley (OLSV) is a small Catholic mission church tucked into the Swan Valley of western Montana, serving the communities of Condon and Swan Lake along Highway 83. It is a mission of St. John Paul II Parish in Bigfork and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. The church is celebrated as 'a jewel of faith' — a log-style building hand-built by a small flock of families in the 1990s — and it operates as a seasonal parish, offering Sunday Mass from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend each year.
- Established
- 1990
- Patron
- Our Lady (the Blessed Virgin Mary) under the title Our Lady of Swan Valley
- Rector
- Father Eric Gilbaugh (pastor of St. John Paul II Parish, Bigfork, and pastor of Our Lady of Swan Valley Mission); currently administered by Father Nicetus Msinge, ALCP/OSS
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
Why belong here
Our Lady of Swan Valley is a small but deeply faithful Catholic community that grew out of an impossible-seeming dream — a handful of families in 1990 committing to build their own church in the Montana wilderness — and has stayed close-knit ever since. Worshippers gather for Sunday Mass from Memorial Day through Labor Day, share a potluck dinner after Mass, and welcome both year-round valley residents and summer visitors. Whether you're a Swan Valley local, a cabin owner, or simply traveling Highway 83 through the area, OLSV offers a peaceful, seasonal place to worship, receive the Eucharist, and be known by name.
Mass times at Our Lady of Swan Valley Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays before/after Mass
Welcome to Our Lady of Swan Valley Mission
Our Lady of Swan Valley Mission (OLSV) is a small Roman Catholic mission church serving the Swan Valley of western Montana, with a physical presence in the community of Condon and a mailing connection through Bigfork. The mission is part of the Diocese of Helena and is administered as a mission of St. John Paul II Parish in Bigfork. It is a seasonal parish, reopening each Memorial Day weekend and offering Sunday Mass through Labor Day weekend, then pausing through the Montana winter.
- Patroness: Our Lady (Blessed Virgin Mary), under the title Our Lady of Swan Valley
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
- Status: Mission church of St. John Paul II Parish, Bigfork
- Seasonal schedule: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend
History of the Parish
OLSV was born from a direct challenge by Bishop Elden F. Curtiss to the Swan Valley Catholics after Mass on December 9, 1990. With only about 20 families and weekly collections of around $120, the small community nevertheless set out to build a church — and they did, dedicating it on September 1, 1996 with Archbishop Alex J. Brunett presiding. For 17 years before the building existed, Mass was celebrated at Faith Lutheran Church, and that friendship remains a point of local pride.
- 1990 — Bishop Elden F. Curtiss calls on the Swan Valley Catholics to build a church
- 1991 — Building committee formed; Gene and Margaret Leistiko donate two acres off Beck Road
- 1996 (Sept. 1) — Church dedicated by Archbishop Alex J. Brunett; Father D.A. Okorn founding pastor
- 1997 — Final $10,000 gift makes the mission debt-free
- 2015 (July) — Becomes a mission of St. John Paul II Parish in Bigfork
- 2021 (Sept. 6) — 25th anniversary of dedication celebrated with Bishop Austin Vetter
Building & Architecture
Architect and parishioner Larry Deeds designed the church to suit its Montana wilderness setting. The building was originally planned as a 1,000-square-foot one-story structure, then expanded to include a daylight basement social hall — more than doubling the cost but giving the parish room to gather after Mass. Rick Bishop of Bishop Builders served as general contractor, and members of the local community cleared the building site themselves.
- Architect: Larry Deeds (parishioner)
- General contractor: Rick Bishop of Bishop Builders
- Original plan: one-story, 1,000 sq ft
- Final form: with daylight-basement social hall
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
The mission is pastored from St. John Paul II Parish in Bigfork and is regularly served by priests who travel from the parish and from The Sycamore Tree Catholic Retreat Center. The Diocese of Helena lists Father Nicetus Msinge, ALCP/OSS, as administrator, with Father Eric Gilbaugh named as pastor on the parish side. Longtime pastoral assistant Michelle Jenkins (32+ years) is a foundational figure in parish life.
- Pastor: Father Eric Gilbaugh (St. John Paul II Parish, Bigfork)
- Administrator: Father Nicetus Msinge, ALCP/OSS
- Sunday Celebrant: Father John O. Brown (Hermit Priest at The Sycamore Tree)
- Canonical Pastor (per directory): Father Michael P. Poole
- Office Manager / liaison: Dawn Lembke (St. John Paul II Parish)
- Pastoral Assistant: Michelle Jenkins (32+ years)
Community Life & Ministries
OLSV is best known for the warmth of its gathered community. After Sunday Mass, parishioners share a potluck dinner — a tradition that brings together year-round valley residents and summer cabin families. The parish has also nurtured a strong ecumenical relationship with Faith Lutheran Church, which hosted Catholic Masses for 17 years before the mission was built, and continues to draw on local musicians for solemn liturgies (a Schola sang at the 25th anniversary).
- Sunday potluck dinner following Mass
- Schola / sacred music ministry
- Long-standing ecumenical relationship with Faith Lutheran Church
- Pastoral assistance and parish administration
- Building/fundraising committee heritage
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father D.A. Okorn1996 dedication
Founding pastor; served at the church's dedication Mass on Sept. 1/2, 1996.
- Father Craig Hanleyuntil 2019
Long-serving pastor of the mission.
- Father Michael Drury2020 – July 2021
Sunday Celebrant, retired priest from Missoula who traveled weekly and stayed at The Sycamore Tree.
- Father David Mary Engofrom July 1, 2021
Sunday Celebrant; also chaplain at The Sycamore Tree Catholic Retreat Center.
- Father Nicetus Msinge, ALCP/OSS
Listed as Administrator on the Diocese of Helena parish page.
- Father Eric Gilbaugh2026 –
Pastor of St. John Paul II Parish in Bigfork and pastor of Our Lady of Swan Valley Mission; offers the 5:30 p.m. summer Sunday Mass.