About Saint Mary (Mountain Home Air Force Base) [military] · Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
Saint Mary's Catholic Community is the Roman Catholic congregation serving the military and civilian personnel of Mountain Home Air Force Base in southwestern Idaho. The community worships at Liberty Chapel (Building 2606, 420 Gunfighter Avenue) and is supported by the base Chaplain Corps, which provides sacramental, educational, and pastoral care for the so-called 'Gunfighter' community. As a military parish it is part of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, while also falling within the Diocese of Boise's pastoral region.
- Patron
- Saint Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (with diocesan pastoral collaboration from the Diocese of Boise)
Why belong here
Saint Mary's offers the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church — Sunday and weekday Mass, confession, First Communion and Confirmation preparation, RCIA, marriage prep, and baptism classes — to active-duty members, dependents, retirees, and civilian employees on and around Mountain Home AFB. The chaplains are uniformed service members who deploy with the wing and understand the unique pressures of military life, and they offer confidential counseling, faith-formation for every age (Pre-K through 12th grade, plus adults), and a men's Esto Vir fellowship. For a Catholic family looking for a worship community that moves with the rhythms of Air Force life, Saint Mary's is built to meet them where they are.
Mass times at Saint Mary (Mountain Home Air Force Base) [military]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
- By appointment during the week (call 208-828-6417)
About Saint Mary's Catholic Community
Saint Mary's Catholic Community is the Roman Catholic congregation serving active-duty military, dependents, DoD civilians, and retirees at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The community gathers at Liberty Chapel, Building 2606, 420 Gunfighter Avenue, and is pastored by the base's Air Force Catholic chaplains. Its worship and formation offerings are designed to move with the operational tempo of the 366th Fighter Wing and its associated units.
- Worship site: Liberty Chapel, Bldg 2606, 420 Gunfighter Ave
- Rite: Roman-Latin (Roman Catholic)
- Phone: (208) 828-6417 / DSN 728-6417
- Religious Education contact: [email protected]
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Saint Mary's runs a complete faith-formation program out of the Liberty Chapel Annex during the August–May school year. Children's CCD meets Sundays 10:00–11:00 AM for ages Pre-K (3 years) through 12th grade, and First Holy Communion and Confirmation preparation runs Sundays 10:00 AM–12:00 PM. The Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) gives 7th– through 12th-graders their own formation track, while adults have a parallel Sunday class for ongoing faith study. Sacramental preparation for adults — RCIA, baptism, and marriage — is scheduled by appointment so that chaplains can work with each candidate individually.
- Children's CCD: Sun 10:00–11:00 AM (Pre-K–12)
- First Communion & Confirmation: Sun 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
- CYO youth group: Sun 10:00 AM–12:00 PM (grades 7–12)
- Adult Religious Education: Sun 10:00–11:00 AM
- RCIA, Marriage Prep, Baptism Classes: by appointment
Esto Vir Men's Group
A Catholic men's fellowship gathering on Sunday evenings at 5:00 PM. Esto Vir (Latin for 'Be a man') is a long-standing Catholic men's spirituality movement, and the MHAFB chapter meets weekly to build fraternity and faith among the men of the Gunfighter community.
- Meets Sundays at 5:00 PM
- Catholic men's fellowship
Chaplain Corps and Pastoral Care
Saint Mary's is served by the Mountain Home AFB Chaplain Corps. The chaplains' mission is to ensure the free exercise of religion for base personnel, enhancing quality of life through worship, counseling, family programs, scripture studies, and crisis support. Because the chaplains themselves deploy with the wing, they understand the pressures of military life firsthand. All conversations with a chaplain are confidential without exception. For pastoral emergencies outside duty hours, the Command Post can reach a chaplain 24/7.
- Confidential counseling and spiritual direction
- Marriage and family support
- Deployment and crisis support
- 24/7 chaplain access via Command Post: (208) 828-5800
- Chapel office: (208) 828-6417 / DSN 728-6417
Sacraments
The full sacramental life of the Catholic Church is available at Liberty Chapel, including Sunday and weekday Mass, confession, baptism, First Communion and Confirmation preparation, marriage preparation, RCIA, and anointing of the sick. Inquiries about marriage, baptism, and adult initiation are taken by appointment so the chaplain can prepare couples and candidates personally.
- Baptism (infant & adult via RCIA)
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Matrimony (preparation required)
- Anointing of the Sick (request through Chaplain Corps)
- Confession / Reconciliation
Visit, Contact, and Emergencies
Civilian visitors to the chapel must follow standard military installation access procedures at the Mountain Home AFB Visitor Control Center. Active-duty, retirees, and DoD ID-card holders may enter the base directly with their credentials. The chapel office is reachable at (208) 828-6417 (DSN 728-6417) during duty hours; outside duty hours, sacramental emergencies are routed through the Command Post at (208) 828-5800.
- Chapel office: (208) 828-6417 / DSN 728-6417
- 24/7 chaplain emergency line (Command Post): (208) 828-5800
- Religious Education email: [email protected]
- Official chapel page: mountainhome.af.mil/Base-Resources-Helping-Agencies/Chapel/