About Our Lady of the Assumption · Cashmere, Washington
Our Lady of the Assumption (Nuestra Señora de la Asunción) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish serving the Upper Wenatchee Valley of Washington State, in the Diocese of Yakima. Formed in 2017 by the merger of the historic St. Francis Xavier parish in Cashmere and Our Lady of the Snows in Leavenworth, the community worshipped for years at the old Cashmere church while it planned and built a single central church in Peshastin. That long-awaited new church — a $6.6 million, 10,966-square-foot building with capacity for more than 400 — was dedicated on August 14, 2025 by Bishop Joseph J. Tyson on the Feast of the Assumption. Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish, and the parish is pastored by Fr. Miguel González, who has served the merged communities since 2016.
- Established
- 2017
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Assumption (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Miguel González (pastor of the merged parish since 2016, formally installed in the new church on August 14, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Assumption is a bilingual, mission-shaped Catholic community that has just spent more than a decade working, fundraising, and praying to build a single new church capable of holding everyone in one room. Worship is offered in both English and Spanish, weekday and Sunday Masses are streamed on Facebook, and the parish communicates through Flocknote email and text alerts, bulletins, and a YouTube channel — so newcomers and longtime members alike can stay connected. With daily and weekend Mass, Saturday confessions, Thursday Eucharistic Adoration, a draft Parish Pastoral Plan inviting lay participation, and the historic 1873 St. Francis Xavier mission heritage in the valley behind it, the parish is a place for households who want to belong to a small but united valley-wide faith family.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM (followed by 6:00 PM Spanish Mass)
Parish Identity and Welcome
Our Lady of the Assumption — Nuestra Señora de la Asunción — describes itself on its own website as the long-awaited 'House of God and the Gate to Heaven' for the Upper Wenatchee Valley. The parish is bilingual (English and Spanish) and emphasizes unity: it was forged from two smaller parishes and now draws Catholics from Cashmere, Leavenworth, Peshastin, and the surrounding orchards and small towns. Its bilingual welcome, livestreamed Masses, and Flocknote-based communications make it accessible to working families, Spanish-speaking parishioners, and longtime valley residents alike.
History of the Parish
Catholic missionary presence in the Wenatchee Valley goes back to the 1850s with Oblate Father Respari, who lived with the Wenatchi people for twenty years. In the 1870s, Jesuit Father Urban Grassi built the original St. Francis Xavier Mission in 1873; the Cashmere church bearing that name was rebuilt in 1913 and served for over a century. In 2017 the Diocese of Yakima merged the Cashmere parish with Our Lady of the Snows in Leavenworth into Our Lady of the Assumption. The merged community worshipped for years at the old Cashmere church while raising funds and planning a single central church.
- 1850s – Father Respari ministers to the Wenatchi along Mission Creek
- 1873 – Jesuit Father Urban Grassi builds the first St. Francis Xavier Mission
- 1913 – St. Francis Xavier church built in Cashmere
- 2016 – Fr. Miguel González arrives as pastor of both Leavenworth and Cashmere parishes
- 2017 – Two parishes officially merged into Our Lady of the Assumption (Diocese of Yakima)
- March 25, 2024 – Groundbreaking on the new Peshastin site
- August 14, 2025 – Bishop Joseph J. Tyson dedicates the new church on the Feast of the Assumption
The New Church in Peshastin
The new Our Lady of the Assumption church was built on former orchard land just northeast of the Don Senn Memorial Interchange ('Big Y') where US Highway 2 and US Highway 97 meet near Peshastin. Construction began in spring 2024 under Apollo, Inc. of Kennewick, with design by MJ Neal and Associates. Originally planned to include a parish hall and classrooms, the project was scaled back after post-COVID cost increases; those facilities are planned for a later phase. The old Cashmere church continues to host religious education and parish gatherings in the meantime.
- Size: 10,966 square feet; total occupancy 424
- Project cost: approximately $6.6 million
- Architect: MJ Neal and Associates
- General contractor: Apollo, Inc. of Kennewick
- Contract signed by Bishop Joseph J. Tyson in early 2024
- Matching Donation Fund goal: $500,000 (parish reported $256,907 raised toward the campaign)
- Parish hall and classrooms postponed to a later phase
Architecture and Stained-Glass Windows
The building's artistic program centers on four large stained-glass windows arranged as the four compass points of salvation. On the east-west axis, the Nativity window (Mary holding the infant Jesus, 'the Ark of God') faces the Resurrection of Christ; on the north-south axis, the Assumption of Mary rises high over the altar and is visible from the highway when illuminated at night, while the Coronation of Mary is placed above the exit. Bishop Tyson described the design as a visual journey of salvation in which the church itself is meant to be 'a compass of faith.'
- East window – Nativity (Mary as Ark of God)
- West window – Resurrection of Christ
- North window – Assumption of Mary (over altar, visible from highway)
- South window – Coronation of Mary (over exit)
Pastoral Leadership
The parish has been led by Father Miguel González through the entire merger and building process. He became pastor of both the Leavenworth and Cashmere parishes in 2016, oversaw their 2017 unification, and on August 14, 2025 received the keys to the new Peshastin church from Bishop Joseph J. Tyson. The parish office is staffed by Parish Secretary Esther Pérez.
- Rev. Miguel González – Pastor (2016–present)
- Esther Pérez – Parish Secretary
Faith Formation, Pastoral Plan, and Parish Life
Because the planned parish hall and classrooms have been postponed, religious education classes are currently held at the older Cashmere church at 300 S. Division St. The parish has published a bilingual 'Draft of the Parish Pastoral Plan / Borrador del Plan Pastoral Parroquial' for parishioner feedback, signaling an effort to involve the whole community in shaping parish priorities. Communication runs through Flocknote (email and text), the parish website, Facebook livestreams, Instagram, and YouTube.
- Religious education hosted at the former Cashmere church (300 S. Division St.)
- Draft Parish Pastoral Plan open for parishioner input
- Flocknote email/text bulletins and alerts
- Facebook livestream of Sunday Masses
- Instagram (@olassumption) and YouTube channel
Diocese and Wider Church Connection
Our Lady of the Assumption is one of more than 40 parishes in the Diocese of Yakima, which covers central and southern Washington. The Most Reverend Joseph J. Tyson, Bishop of Yakima, personally led the August 14, 2025 dedication of the new Peshastin church, preached the homily titled 'Our Lady of the Assumption: Ark of God,' and signed the construction contract with Apollo, Inc. The parish's diocese page lists it as 'Peshastin – Our Lady of the Assumption Parish.'
- Diocese: Diocese of Yakima
- Diocesan bishop: Most Reverend Joseph J. Tyson
- Dedication Mass: August 14, 2025 (Feast of the Assumption)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Miguel González2016–present
Arrived as pastor of both the Leavenworth (Our Lady of the Snows) and Cashmere (St. Francis Xavier) parishes in 2016; oversaw their 2017 merger into Our Lady of the Assumption, the long fundraising and planning process, and the August 14, 2025 dedication of the new Peshastin church, where Bishop Tyson ceremonially handed him the keys.