About St. Catherine · Boulder, Montana
St. Catherine Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in Boulder, Montana, in the foothills of southwest Montana, serving the faithful of Jefferson County as part of the Diocese of Helena. The parish is centered at the historic church at 214 South Elder Street and shares its Catholic mission life with St. John the Evangelist Mission out in the Boulder Valley. In recent years the parish has been without a resident priest, and worship has been sustained through the generosity of the diocese, an annual Mass celebrated by Bishop Austin Vetters, and the steadfastness of a core group of lay parishioners who keep the church open and its community center active.
- Established
- c. 1892
- Patron
- St. Catherine
- Rector
- Father John Crutchfield (Administrator of St. Catherine Parish; currently oversees multiple parishes including Whitehall's St. Teresa of Avila)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
Why belong here
St. Catherine is the spiritual home of a small, resilient Catholic community in the Boulder Valley that has kept its doors and its identity open through more than a century of change — including, most recently, years without a resident priest. Belonging here means joining a faithful handful of families who gather for the annual diocesan Mass, support the parish through regular contributions, and meet monthly at the parish community center next door. Even with limited weekly services, parishioners continue to celebrate baptisms (such as the infant Thomas Grayson blessed by Bishop Vetters at the most recent annual Mass), weddings, and funerals with priests from neighboring parishes, and to maintain St. Catherine as a living Catholic presence in Jefferson County.
Mass times at St. Catherine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30–8:50 AM, and by request
Parish Profile
St. Catherine Parish serves the small town of Boulder in Jefferson County, Montana, and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. The parish church sits at 214 South Elder Street in Boulder, with a parish community center next door that hosts a monthly brunch and community events. Its sister mission, St. John the Evangelist, stands on Highway 69 fifteen miles southeast of town in the Boulder Valley.
History
Catholic life in the Boulder Valley predates the parish itself. Beginning in the 1860s, Jesuit missionaries from St. Peter's Mission near Helena traveled by horseback into the valley, saying Mass in settlers' cabins (the Ryan and Brady homes) before any church had been built. In 1880–1881, Father J. G. Venneman, S.J., organized the construction of the Boulder Valley church — the present St. John the Evangelist Mission — at a cost of about $1,500, on ground donated by Michael Quinn, with valley families hauling in the building materials.
- 1880–81: Father Venneman, S.J., builds the Boulder Valley church (later named St. John the Evangelist).
- Bishop John Baptist Brondel dedicates the valley church.
- Father Thompson adds a steeple, bell, and vestibule during his pastorship.
- c. 1892: St. Catherine Parish founded in Boulder itself as the local Catholic community grows.
- Early 1900s: Father J. C. Harrington serves as pastor and writes the first surviving history of the valley church.
- 1958: Helen Carey begins attending St. Catherine; she later recalls full pews every Sunday.
Recent Years and the Annual Mass
The Diocese of Helena transferred St. Catherine's resident priest to Dillon around 2021 due to priest shortages, and the parish has been without a resident priest since mid-2022. To keep the parish viable, the diocese has arranged an annual late-spring Mass — most recently celebrated by Bishop Austin Vetters with more than 100 parishioners in attendance, infant baptism of Thomas Grayson, and a brunch in the parish community center. As of the bishop's public comments, the diocese intends to revisit Boulder at its annual parish review after a forthcoming priestly ordination in Helena.
- 2021: Diocesan priest transferred to Dillon.
- Mid-2022: Parish loses its resident priest.
- Late May 2024: Bishop Austin Vetters celebrates the annual Mass; 100+ parishioners attend; brunch at the community center.
- Parish Council Chair Anita McCauley publicly urges continued financial support.
St. John the Evangelist Mission
St. Catherine's sister mission, St. John the Evangelist, sits on Highway 69 in the Boulder Valley about 15 miles southeast of Boulder. Built in 1880–81 under Father Venneman and dedicated by Bishop Brondel, it is one of the earliest surviving white Catholic mission churches in western Montana. Its regular Mass schedule is currently suspended; the mailing address and parish phone are shared with St. Catherine.
- Built 1880–1881 under Father J. G. Venneman, S.J.
- Dedicated by Bishop John Baptist Brondel
- Improved by Father Thompson (steeple, bell, vestibule)
- Mailing: P.O. Box 205, Boulder, MT 59632
- Phone: 406-225-3222
Parish Community Life
Even with limited weekly services, St. Catherine remains an active parish community. The community center next to the church hosts a monthly brunch, and the parish council — chaired by Anita McCauley — coordinates fundraising and events. The community center is also rented out for outside events to help support the parish financially.
- Parish Council chaired by Anita McCauley
- Monthly brunch in the community center
- Community-center rentals support parish finances
- Annual diocesan Mass with the Bishop of Helena
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Catherine by phone at (406) 225-3222 or by email at [email protected]. The parish mailing address is P.O. Box 205, Boulder, MT 59632, and the church sits at 214 South Elder Street. Father John Crutchfield serves as canonical Administrator and is based out of St. Teresa of Avila in Whitehall; parish contact Kathryn Kreamer handles local coordination.
- Phone: (406) 225-3222
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: P.O. Box 205, Boulder, MT 59632
- Church: 214 South Elder Street, Boulder, MT 59632
- Administrator: Father John Crutchfield
- Parish Contact: Kathryn Kreamer