About St. Anne · Medical Lake, Washington
St. Anne Catholic Parish in Medical Lake, Washington is one of two parishes in the 'West Plains Catholic Parishes' cluster, serving the small towns west of Spokane in the Diocese of Spokane alongside Mary Queen of Heaven in Sprague. The parish was founded in 1889 and its current brick church building dates to 1931. Under pastor Fr. Mike Ishida, the parish offers daily Mass, regular adoration, confession before every Mass, and an active sacramental life for the rural west-plains community.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grandmother of Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Mike Ishida
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
St. Anne is a small, traditional rural Catholic parish that makes daily Mass and the sacraments unusually accessible: Mass is celebrated every day of the week, with adoration and confession built into the routine, and both churches (St. Anne in Medical Lake and Mary Queen of Heaven in Sprague) are open around the clock for visits to the Blessed Sacrament. The parish is also part of the wider Spokane-area Catholic life, hosting recovery meetings (AA on Wednesdays, Alanon on Mondays), offering a FORMED digital content subscription, and feeding parishioners via Flocknote text and email updates.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:30 PM (before 5:00 PM Vigil Mass)
- Sunday: 8:30 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
- Monday & Friday: 5:30 PM (before 6:00 PM Mass)
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
- First Saturday: 8:30 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
Adoration times
- Monday: 5:00–6:00 PM (followed by 5:30 PM Confession and 6:00 PM Mass)
- Friday: 5:00–6:00 PM (followed by 5:30 PM Confession and 6:00 PM Mass)
- Tuesday: 9:30–10:30 AM (after 9:00 AM Mass)
- Wednesday: 9:30–10:30 AM (after 9:00 AM Mass)
- Thursday: 9:30–10:30 AM (after 9:00 AM Mass)
- Both churches are also open at all times for visits to the Blessed Sacrament
About the Parish
St. Anne Catholic Church in Medical Lake, Washington is part of the West Plains Catholic Parishes — a two-parish grouping under the Diocese of Spokane that also includes Mary Queen of Heaven in nearby Sprague. The parish serves a rural, small-town Catholic community about 15 miles west-southwest of Spokane and is led by pastor Fr. Mike Ishida. Both churches in the grouping are kept open at all times for visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
History of St. Anne Parish
St. Anne Parish was founded in 1889, the same year the town of Medical Lake was incorporated. The parish's early years coincided with the town's heyday as a mineral-spa health resort and with the establishment of the state's custodial institution (later Lakeland Village) at Medical Lake, which the parish also served as chaplaincy. The definitive history is Father Edward J. Kowrach's 1963 book, How Silently: A History of the Catholic Church of the Big Bend Missions and St. Anne Church, Medical Lake; Kowrach served 35 years as pastor before retiring in 1973.
- Founded 1889 in Medical Lake, WA (Diocese of Spokane)
- Current brick church building constructed in 1931
- Long-term pastor Fr. Edward J. Kowrach (1938–1973 approx.); author of parish history
- 2017: meditation garden dedicated with pergola honoring every past pastor since 1889
- Parish time capsule buried to be opened at 150th anniversary in 2039
Architecture & Grounds
The current St. Anne Church is a brick building erected in 1931. Its brick is partly salvaged from a demolished Medical Lake house and traces back to a brick factory once operating in the town. The parish grounds include a 2017 brick-paved meditation garden with a pergola, stations of the Cross, a 'Face of Jesus' mural, a water feature with a fabricated cross, and a parish time capsule.
Clergy & Staff
The West Plains Catholic Parishes are served by pastor Fr. Mike Ishida, who also serves as spiritual director on diocesan pilgrimages (e.g., Medjugorje, scheduled February 27 – March 6, 2027). For sacramental emergencies in danger of death, parishioners are asked to call the parish's emergency line directly. The parish's secular corporation, registered with the Washington Secretary of State, lists several priests and lay governors including Revs. Victor M. Blazovich, Dale Tuckerman, Paul Heric, Lucas Tomson, and Fr. Mike Ishida, alongside lay governors Betty Patterson and Dale Tuckerman.
- Pastor: Fr. Mike Ishida
- Parish Office: (509) 723-1459
- Sacramental Emergency (Anointing/Last Rites): (509) 998-7093
- Email: [email protected]
Parish Communications & Digital Resources
St. Anne keeps its parishioners connected through Flocknote (text the word 'westplains' to 84576) for parish reminders and announcements by text or email. The parish also holds a subscription to FORMED, providing 24/7 access to Catholic movies, study programs, audio, and books. Parish bulletins are archived on the website.
- Flocknote: text 'westplains' to 84576
- FORMED: register at formed.org using parish code DPV8CK
- Bulletin archive available under Bulletins & Info page
Community Outreach
St. Anne opens its facilities to the wider community through two recovery-support meetings held each week: Alcoholics Anonymous on Wednesday evenings and Alanon on Monday evenings. The parish historically extended its ministry into chaplaincy at Lakeland Village (formerly the Custodial School), the Washington state residential facility located in Medical Lake, and continues to be a spiritual presence for the rural west-plains area.
- AA meetings — Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 PM
- Alanon meetings — Mondays 5:30–6:30 PM
- Historic chaplaincy to Lakeland Village / state residential facility
Mary Queen of Heaven (Sprague) — Sister Parish
St. Anne is twinned with Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Sprague, Washington as the West Plains Catholic Parishes, sharing one pastor and one parish office. Mary Queen of Heaven offers a Traditional Latin Mass at 10:30 AM on Sundays and an English Mass at 12:30 PM, with confessions heard at noon on Sundays.
- Address: 103 East Alder Avenue, Sprague, WA 99032
- Sunday Traditional Latin Mass: 10:30 AM
- Sunday English Mass: 12:30 PM
- Sunday Confessions: 12:00 PM
Sacraments & Sacramental Emergencies
The parish celebrates the sacraments routinely through its daily Mass and confession schedule. In danger of death, parishioners are directed to call Fr. Mike Ishida directly on the sacramental emergency line so that Anointing of the Sick or Last Rites can be administered without delay.
- Confession: 30 minutes before every Mass
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites: call (509) 998-7093
- Baptism, Marriage, First Communion, Confirmation prep: contact parish office
Visit, Contact & Directions
St. Anne Catholic Church is located at 708 East Lake Street, Medical Lake, WA. Mail is received at PO Box 125, Medical Lake, WA 99022-0125. The parish office can be reached at (509) 723-1459, and the sacramental emergency line is (509) 998-7093. The churches are open at all times for visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
- St. Anne: 708 East Lake St., Medical Lake, WA 99022 (PO Box 125)
- Mary Queen of Heaven: 103 East Alder Ave., Sprague, WA 99032
- Office: (509) 723-1459 | Emergency: (509) 998-7093
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Edward J. Kowrach1938–1973 (approx. 35 years)
Diocesan priest who wrote 'How Silently: A History of the Catholic Church of the Big Bend Missions and St. Anne Church, Medical Lake' (1963); also served as chaplain at Lakeland Village. Retired in 1973.
- Rev. Dale Tuckerman
Listed as a Governor of St. Anne Catholic Parish - Medical Lake in Washington State corporate filings.
- Rev. Victor M. Blazovich
Listed as registered agent in Washington State corporate filings.
- Rev. Paul Heric
Listed as a Governor in Washington State corporate filings.
- Rev. Lucas Tomson
Listed as an officer in Washington State corporate filings.