About Our Lady of Woodland · Pierce, Idaho
Our Lady of the Woodland Chapel is a small Catholic mission chapel located at 101 Woodland Avenue in Pierce, Idaho — the historic site of Idaho's first gold rush. It is administered together with St. Theresa's Catholic Church in nearby Orofino and St. Catherine of Siena in Kamiah as a single pastoral family in the Diocese of Boise. A handful of dedicated Catholics in Pierce and the surrounding timber country continue to gather for Mass at this rural Clearwater River chapel, served by the priests of St. Theresa's parish.
- Patron
- Our Lady (the Blessed Virgin Mary), under the title 'Our Lady of the Woodland'
- Rector
- Fr. Bruno Mbamobi (administrator of St. Theresa's parish, which includes the Pierce mission)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Woodland is a small mission chapel for Catholics living in and around Pierce, Idaho — the gateway to the Clearwater and a historic gold-rush town. Worshipping here means joining a tight-knit rural mission family served by the priests of St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Orofino, who travel the river valley to bring the Eucharist to a community that has kept the faith since the days of the Slickpoo Mission. It is a parish of faith, timber, and persistence.
Mass times at Our Lady of Woodland
Weekly Mass schedule
About Our Lady of the Woodland
Our Lady of the Woodland Chapel is a small Catholic mission in Pierce, Idaho, in the forested Clearwater River country of north-central Idaho. It is administered as part of St. Theresa's Catholic Church in nearby Orofino and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise. The mission takes its name from the wooded landscape that surrounds the town of Pierce — itself famous as the place where gold was discovered in 1860, launching Idaho's first gold rush.
History of the Pierce Catholic Community
Catholicism along the Clearwater River predates the town of Pierce itself. French-Canadian fur trappers first brought the faith into the valley, and after the 1860 gold rush brought waves of Irish Catholic miners, the Slickpoo (Cataldo) Mission — established in the 1870s by Fr. J.M. Cataldo — reached out to the scattered homesteads, with priests riding horseback between homes to celebrate the Holy Mass. For most of its history Pierce was a mission station ministered from Orofino; a 1902 church in Orofino and later a brick church built in the 1930s by Fr. John B. Kunkel anchored the Catholic life of the valley.
- 1860s: Gold rush brings Irish Catholic miners to the Pierce basin.
- 1875: Fr. J.M. Cataldo arrives to spread the gospel in the area; the Slickpoo Mission follows.
- 1930: Fr. John B. Kunkel becomes resident pastor of Orofino and serves Pierce and surrounding missions.
- 2010: Msgr. George King, longtime pastor of St. Theresa's, dies on Thanksgiving Day after 14 years serving Pierce and Kamiah.
- Fr. Sipho Mathabela, OSB, is instituted pastor of St. Theresa's on December 1, 2010.
The Building — A Church Pierce Built
A University of Idaho graduate archaeology study titled 'Our Lady of the Woodland: The Church that Pierce Built' describes the chapel as 'a church built by a community, through the organization of a single Priest,' with a facade unlike other Catholic churches of its age. The study documents how the structure was built, later moved, and cared for by successive generations of Pierce-area Catholics, calling it both a house of God and a community fixture. By the early 2010s the historic chapel sat shuttered but intact among the timber of Pierce.
Clergy & Pastoral Care
Our Lady of the Woodland does not have its own resident priest; it is shepherded by the pastor and priests of St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Orofino, who also serve St. Catherine of Siena in Kamiah. The mission has historically been served with great dedication — Msgr. George King famously refused to let rain, snow, or even terminal illness keep him from saying Sunday Mass for the people of Pierce and Kamiah.
- Fr. Bruno Mbamobi — current priest assigned (Diocese of Boise parish directory)
- Fr. Sipho Mathabela, OSB — former pastor/administrator of St. Theresa's and the Pierce mission
- Msgr. George King — beloved pastor 1994–2010 who died serving the people of Pierce
Mass & Worship Schedule
Because Our Lady of the Woodland is a small rural mission chapel served by traveling priests, Mass is not celebrated every day. The published schedule shows a single Sunday Mass at the chapel and an additional Mass on the second Saturday of the month during the warmer months. For weekday Mass, Reconciliation, and other sacraments, Pierce-area Catholics are welcomed at St. Theresa's in Orofino (Saturday 5:00 PM, Sunday 10:30 AM).
- Sunday Mass — 2:00 PM at Our Lady of the Woodland, Pierce
- Second Saturday of the month — 10:00 AM at Our Lady of the Woodland, Pierce (April through October)
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 PM at St. Theresa's, Orofino
- Sunday Mass — 10:30 AM at St. Theresa's, Orofino
- Reconciliation — 4:30 PM Saturday at St. Theresa's, Orofino
Visiting & Contact
The chapel sits on Woodland Avenue in Pierce, the historic gold-rush town on the Clearwater River. The mailing address for the parish is shared with St. Theresa's in Orofino, and visitors are encouraged to call ahead so the priest or office manager can confirm Mass times, especially during the winter months when weather can affect the mission schedule.
- Address: 101 Woodland Avenue, Pierce, ID 83546
- Mailing: P.O. Box 1169, Orofino, ID 83544
- Phone: (208) 476-5121
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: st-theresascatholicchurch.org
Diocese & Parish Family
Our Lady of the Woodland belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise. Within the diocese, it is part of a three-church pastoral family in the Clearwater valley: St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Orofino (the main parish), St. Catherine of Siena in Kamiah, and Our Lady of the Woodland in Pierce. The Diocese of Boise parish directory lists Fr. Bruno Mbamobi as the priest assigned to this community.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise
- Main parish: St. Theresa's Catholic Church, Orofino
- Sister mission: St. Catherine of Siena, Kamiah
- Mission: Our Lady of the Woodland, Pierce
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John B. Kunkel1930s
Built the first little brick church at Orofino and ministered to the surrounding Pierce and Clearwater missions.
- Fr. Michael A. Spegeleuntil 1992
Provided spiritual guidance as the parish grew; oversaw groundbreaking for the present St. Theresa's church.
- Fr. Thomas Taylor1992–1994
Succeeded Father Spegele.
- Msgr. George King1994–2010
Long-serving pastor of St. Theresa's who also served Pierce (Our Lady of the Woodland) and Kamiah (St. Catherine of Siena); died Thanksgiving Day 2010 after a long battle with cancer.
- Fr. Sipho Mathabela, OSB2010–
Took over as pastor December 1, 2010 after serving as parochial vicar.