About Our Lady of the Desert · Mattawa, Washington
Our Lady of the Desert Parish is a Roman Catholic parish serving the predominantly Hispanic farming community of Mattawa, Washington, in the high desert along the Columbia River. Established in 1987 as part of the Diocese of Yakima, the parish was built with support from the Catholic Extension Society and has grown into one of the most active bilingual communities in the diocese, with most Masses celebrated in Spanish and daily devotions rooted in farmworker family life. Today the parish is pastored by Fr. Lalo Barragán, himself the son of farmworkers, and continues to be a spiritual home for agricultural families in the lower Columbia Basin.
- Established
- 1987
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Desert
- Rector
- Rev. Lalo Barragán
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Desert is a parish where the rhythms of faith and farm life meet. With three or four Sunday Masses in Spanish and an English Mass each Sunday, daily Spanish Masses Monday through Friday, and a bilingual Mass on Thursday morning, it is one of the most active bilingual schedules in the Diocese of Yakima. Families can walk their children through First Communion (in either English or Spanish), Confirmation, and high-school youth ministry, while adults are welcomed into RCIA, the parish and finance councils, Eucharistic Adoration, and ministries that grow out of the everyday work of the community. For the farmworker families of Mattawa, it is a parish that knows its people — and where the priest, the people, and the harvest belong together.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Desert
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
Our Lady of the Desert Parish — Mattawa, Washington
Our Lady of the Desert is the Roman Catholic parish of Mattawa, a small high-desert farming town on the Columbia River in central Washington. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Yakima and was established in 1987 to serve the farmworker families who came to the orchards, vineyards, and row crops of the lower Columbia Basin. Its church building was constructed with the support of the Catholic Extension Society. Today it is a thriving bilingual community with Mass celebrated several times a day in both Spanish and English, a strong religious-education program, and a pastor and people who share roots in the agricultural life of the region.
- Established: 1987
- Diocese of Yakima
- Address: 301 8th St., Mattawa, WA 99349
- Phone: (509) 932-5424
- Built with support of the Catholic Extension Society
History
Our Lady of the Desert was established in 1987 and its original church was constructed with the support of the Catholic Extension Society. From the beginning the parish has served the bilingual farmworker community of the Mattawa area, and over the decades it has grown alongside the orchards and vineyards of the Wahluke Slope. The parish has been served by several pastors in recent decades, including Fr. Alejandro Trejo (assigned August 8, 2016) and Fr. José de Jesús Ramírez (assigned 2019), and is currently pastored by Fr. Lalo Barragán, who was himself raised in a farmworker family before his ordination in 2013. The parish has also been recognized for agricultural-based fundraising — including the sale of donated farm products such as honey — to support the parish's mission and building needs.
- Founded 1987
- Built by Catholic Extension Society
- Pastors have included Fr. Alejandro Trejo (2016), Fr. José de Jesús Ramírez (2019), and currently Fr. Lalo Barragán
- Known for creative, agriculture-based parish fundraising
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is currently served by two priests: Fr. Lalo Barragán as pastor and Fr. John Washington as parochial vicar. Both are listed in the Diocese of Yakima directory as assigned to Our Lady of the Desert in Mattawa and to Queen of All Saints in Warden. Fr. Barragán is a former farmworker himself, having picked fruit with his parents and siblings before entering seminary and being ordained in 2013.
- Rev. Lalo Barragán — Pastor
- Rev. John Washington — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Barragán was ordained in 2013; raised in a farmworker family in the region
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Our Lady of the Desert runs a full religious-education program for children and adults, with separate Spanish-language and English-language tracks for First Communion, and dedicated directors for Confirmation and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The parish office can put families in touch with the appropriate coordinator for each sacrament.
- First Communion (Spanish) — Veronica Ramirez: (509) 305-6876
- First Communion (English) — Monica Jimenez: (509) 831-1141
- Confirmation — Maggie Celaya: (509) 830-7117
- RCIA — Miguel Celestino: (509) 318-3168
- High-school youth ministry
- Adult Confirmation preparation
Parish Life, Councils & Community
Lay leadership is a key part of parish life at Our Lady of the Desert. The parish is guided by a Parish Council and a Finance Council, both made up of elected members of the community, and a Building Committee oversees the upkeep and growth of the parish facilities. Together with the priests and staff, these councils help direct the life, budget, and buildings of the parish.
- Parish Council members: Asunción Ríos, Jaime De La Cruz, Martín López, Mayola Madrigal, Víctor Madrigal, Noé Arrieta
- Finance Council members: Arturo Rojas, Criselda Mendoza, Erika Erazo, Maggie Celaya, Ronald Gotts, Salvador Martínez
- Building Committee members: Carlos Mendoza, Francisco Mejía, Miguel Rodríguez, Rocío Contreras
Parish Staff & Administration
Day-to-day operations are supported by a small parish staff working out of the parish office on 8th Street.
- Administrative Assistant — Sandra Perez
- Bookkeeper — Carrie Peterson ([email protected])
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM (closed 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM)
- Phone: (509) 932-5424
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the full sacramental life of the Church, from infant Baptism through marriage, and offers the Anointing of the Sick on call in emergencies. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation is offered in both Spanish and English.
- Infant Baptism — preparation available
- First Reconciliation & First Communion (Spanish and English tracks)
- Confirmation (with separate preparation)
- RCIA for adults
- Marriage Preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — on call for emergencies
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Alejandro TrejoAssigned August 8, 2016
Listed as Pastor in the 2020 Diocese of Yakima Official Directory.
- Rev. José de Jesús RamírezAssigned 2019
Listed as Pastor in the 2020 Diocese of Yakima Official Directory.
- Rev. Lalo BarragánCurrent
Current pastor; ordained in 2013; came from a farmworker family and picked fruit alongside his parents and siblings before entering the priesthood.