About Sacred Heart · Nespelem, Washington
Sacred Heart Mission is a Roman Catholic mission parish in Nespelem, Washington, on the Colville Indian Reservation, within the Diocese of Spokane. Founded in 1915 by the Jesuits of the California and Oregon Provinces, it has served the Native American communities of the Confederated Colville Tribes for over a century. The parish is known for its distinctive blending of Catholic liturgy with Indigenous traditions — including smudging with sage, hymns sung in Salish dialect, and a teepee-shaped tabernacle adorned with Chief Joseph blankets. Today it is administered by the Society of Jesus, with Fr. Jake Morton, SJ, residing locally and Fr. Tom Colgan, SJ, commuting from Spokane.
- Established
- 1915
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. Jake Morton, SJ
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Mission is a rare and living example of Catholic worship deeply intertwined with Indigenous tradition. Sunday Mass (typically starting around 8:20 a.m.) features smudging of the host and altar with sage by an elder, hymns sung in a Salish dialect, and artwork depicting Jesus as a Native man. The parish serves not only Catholics but anyone on the reservation — through discreet word-of-mouth help with gas, groceries, and emergencies, and parish events like the Father's Day feast and Corpus Christi celebrations. Joining Sacred Heart means becoming part of a faith community that has walked alongside the Confederated Colville Tribes for more than a century.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Sacred Heart Mission
Sacred Heart Mission has been a predominantly Native American parish in the Diocese of Spokane since 1915, when it was established by the Jesuits of the California and Oregon Provinces to serve the Indigenous communities of the Colville Reservation — Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelem, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Palus, Sanpoil, Senijextee, and Wenatchi. According to the Jesuits.org account, the parish was formally founded in 1916 and is 'tucked into a sloping hillside in the town of Nespelem.' The Jesuits have administered the mission continuously since its founding. In 1949 a fire destroyed earlier parish records, but sacramental registers have been kept from that year onward for Sacred Heart and its associated missions.
- Founded 1915 (mission established); parish founded 1916
- Established by Jesuits of the California and Oregon Provinces
- 1949 fire destroyed earlier parish records
- Jesuits have administered the mission continuously, 1915–present
Jesuit Presence on the Colville Reservation
Sacred Heart is one of two Jesuit parishes serving the 1.4-million-acre Colville Reservation, home today to the Confederated Colville Tribes. The other Jesuit parish, St. Mary's in Omak (originally St. Mary's Mission), was established in 1886 by the first Jesuits to come to Colville. Together, the two parishes represent nearly 140 years of Jesuit-Indigenous collaboration on the reservation. In earlier decades multiple Jesuits lived full-time on Colville; today, only Fr. Jake Morton, SJ, lives there locally, while Fr. Tom Colgan, SJ, commutes between Nespelem and Spokane.
- Sacred Heart (Nespelem) and St. Mary's (Omak) — the two Jesuit parishes on the Colville Reservation
- St. Mary's Mission originally established 1886
- Fr. Jake Morton, SJ, resides locally; Fr. Tom Colgan, SJ, commutes from Spokane
Liturgy & Worship
Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart is suffused with Native ceremony and music. Before the Eucharist is consecrated, a parishioner (typically an elder) smudges the host and the altar with a smoking bundle of sage, then traverses the pews wafting smoke over each parishioner. The Mass closes with a hymn sung in a Salish dialect. The Stations of the Cross and parishioner artwork depict Jesus as a Native man. Mass officially begins at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday but more typically starts around 8:20 a.m. — 'no one seems to mind,' as one Jesuit visitor observed.
- Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM
- Thursday Mass at 4:00 PM at the convalescent center
- Smudging with sage by an elder before the Eucharistic Prayer
- Hymn in Salish dialect at the close of Mass
- Jesus depicted as a Native man in the Stations of the Cross
The Church Building
The Sacred Heart church is essentially one room: a collapsible divider separates the pews and altar from the adjoining kitchen and dining space. Green carpets, wood paneling and Chief Joseph blankets create a welcoming warmth. The altar is adorned with brightly patterned Chief Joseph blankets, the tabernacle is shaped like a teepee in honor of the nomadic lifestyle of the Colville Tribes, and a statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha — the first Native American saint — sits in the corner.
- Teepee-shaped tabernacle
- Chief Joseph blankets adorning the altar
- Statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha in the corner
- Adjoining kitchen and dining space separated by a collapsible divider
Clergy & Parish Leadership
Day-to-day parish operations are co-led by Jesuit clergy and lay leaders. Fr. Jake Morton, SJ, resides locally; Fr. Tom Colgan, SJ, commutes between Nespelem and Spokane and joins parish events via Zoom during the week. Deacon Radford George ('Deacon Rad') and parish administrator Nancy Montes helm the practical life of the parish, with Nancy keeping a mental catalog of parishioners, elders, and the recently departed to pray for. Parishioner Rick serves as the church's musician, groundskeeper, and general jack-of-all-trades.
- Fr. Jake Morton, SJ — resident priest
- Fr. Tom Colgan, SJ — commuting priest (Nespelem/Spokane)
- Deacon Radford George — assists with parish operations
- Nancy Montes — parish administrator
- Rick — parish musician and groundskeeper
Parish Outreach & Community Life
Sacred Heart serves not only Catholics but anyone in Nespelem who needs help. While the parish cannot give cash directly to community members, some parish funds are designated to help people pay for gas and groceries. A discreet word-of-mouth network has aided people experiencing poverty, domestic violence, and other emergencies on the remote reservation. Parish gatherings — like the Father's Day feast with egg scramble casseroles, skirt steaks, sausage, donuts, and smoked salmon, and the Corpus Christi celebration — bring the community together across faith lines.
- Discreet emergency assistance (gas, groceries)
- Father's Day feast
- Corpus Christi celebration (joint with St. Mary's, Omak)
Outlying Missions & Sacramental Records
Sacred Heart maintains sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, burials) for itself and for three associated missions: St. Rose of Lima (Keller), St. Ignatius, and St. Joseph Missions. Records date from 1949 onward, after a 1949 fire destroyed earlier parish registers. Earlier archives are held by the Jesuits in St. Louis, Missouri.
- St. Rose of Lima Mission, Keller
- St. Ignatius Mission
- St. Joseph Mission
- Sacramental records 1949–present
- Earlier archives held by Jesuits, St. Louis, Missouri
Visiting Sacred Heart Mission
Sacred Heart Mission is located at 209 9th Street, Nespelem, WA 99155, in the heart of the Colville Indian Reservation. The parish phone line is (509) 634-4249. Visitors are warmly welcomed to attend Sunday Mass or to call ahead to confirm the current schedule and any parish events.
- Address: 209 9th St, Nespelem, WA 99155
- Phone: (509) 634-4249
- Diocese of Spokane parish directory listing
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Jesuits of the California & Oregon Provinces1915–1930
Founded and administered Sacred Heart Mission for the Indigenous communities of the Colville Reservation.
- Jesuits (continued administration)1930–1938
- Jesuits1938–present
Continuous Jesuit administration. Fr. Tom Colgan, SJ, has served as a commuting priest, with Fr. Jake Morton, SJ, now residing locally. Deacon Radford George assists with day-to-day parish operations.