About St. Catherine · Concrete, Washington
St. Catherine of Genoa Mission is a small Catholic mission church in Concrete, Washington, serving the upper Skagit Valley. It is canonically a mission of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in nearby Sedro-Woolley, and together they are part of the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches family of four parishes, a mission, and a regional Catholic school administered under the Archdiocese of Seattle. The community gathers for Saturday Mass and partners with Immaculate Conception Regional School and the Helping Hands Food Bank. According to the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches website, the parish and mission have long histories of 'serving and witnessing in the North Cascade foothills and mountains of Washington State.'
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Genoa
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas G. McMichael
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (Northern Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Catherine is a small but long-standing Catholic mission with deep roots in the upper Skagit Valley dating to 1902, and it remains a place where the pioneer spirit of neighbors gathering for the Eucharist continues today. As a mission of Immaculate Heart of Mary, parishioners have access to a full Catholic life — weekend Mass at Concrete on Saturday morning, weekday Mass and confession at the IHM campus, faith formation for Pre-K through 8th grade, sacramental preparation, and a Knights of Columbus council and Ladies Guild that bind the community together. The mission partners with Immaculate Conception Regional School and the Helping Hands Food Bank, giving Concrete-area Catholics a tangible way to live out the Gospel in the North Cascades foothills.
Mass times at St. Catherine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday after the 9:00 AM Mass (at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sedro-Woolley)
- Saturday 4:00–4:45 PM (at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sedro-Woolley)
Adoration times
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — Saturday 6:00 PM to Sunday 8:00 AM (at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sedro-Woolley)
About St. Catherine Mission
St. Catherine of Genoa Mission in Concrete is a small Catholic mission church nestled in the North Cascade foothills and mountains of Washington State. Canonically it is a mission of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Sedro-Woolley, and the two are jointly served by the priests and staff of the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches (SVCC). The community gathers weekly for Saturday morning Mass and is woven into the wider Catholic life of the Skagit Valley through shared faith formation, sacramental preparation, school partnership, and outreach.
- Type: Mission of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sedro-Woolley
- Deanery: Northern Deanery, Archdiocese of Seattle
- County: Skagit, Washington
- Parish Family #3 in the Archdiocese of Seattle
History
Catholic worship in the upper Skagit Valley began not in Concrete but upriver near Rockport. In 1902 a Sedro-Woolley parish priest first came up the Skagit to celebrate Mass in the homestead cabin of Henry A. and Katharine (O'Connor) Martin, and for roughly thirty years priests continued to make that monthly journey by horse and wagon — sometimes on horseback alone — while Mr. and Mrs. Martin maintained a special altar in their home. As automobiles became common after the 1916 Rockport bridge, the upriver Catholic families were able to drive down to a permanent church. St. Catherine's Mission Church building was constructed in 1912 on a hillside in central Concrete, just north of the post office. In December 1964 the parish dedicated a separate CCD Center and Parish Hall, which contains classrooms, a large meeting room with a stone fireplace, a kitchen, and utility rooms — a building intentionally opened to the wider Concrete community for reunions, banquets, and civic events.
- 1902 — First scheduled Mass celebrated at the Henry Martin homestead near Rockport
- 1903 — A carpenter builds a special altar in the Martin's new home
- 1911 — A schoolhouse is built across the Skagit from Rockport, where Mass is also offered
- 1912 — St. Catherine's Mission Church constructed in Concrete by the local Catholic community
- 1916 — Construction of the Rockport bridge makes automobile travel to Concrete feasible
- December 1964 — Dedication of St. Catherine's CCD Center and Parish Hall
Clergy & Staff
St. Catherine Mission shares its pastoral team with Immaculate Heart of Mary and the broader Skagit Valley Catholic Churches family. Father Tom McMichael serves as pastor, assisted by two parochial vicars, a deacon, and a lay staff team responsible for liturgy, finance, operations, administration, and facilities.
- Rev. Thomas G. McMichael — Pastor (Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Catherine Mission)
- Rev. Victor Raj Anas Dass, H.G.N. — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Francisco J. Cancino — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Tony Cavazos — Partners in the Gospel
- Janette Strand — Director of Music and Liturgy (360-336-6622 ext. 128)
- Jamie Cline — Director of Finance (360-336-6622 ext. 123)
- Shari Mentel — Director of Operations (360-336-6622)
- Sharon Pawloski — Volunteer contact for St. Catherine (360-855-0077 ext. 302)
- Kassandra Ponce — Administrative Assistant (360-855-0077)
- Rudy Hernandez — Facilities Supervisor (360-899-7231)
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Youth of Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Catherine Mission are invited to join the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches Pre-K through 8th grade faith formation classes, as well as First Communion and Confirmation preparation. Registration for the 2025–2026 program opened in early August 2025; families register in Mount Vernon and Burlington and are asked to bring birth and baptism certificates.
- Pre-K through 8th grade faith formation classes
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Registration in Mount Vernon and Burlington
- Birth and baptism certificates required for registration
Ministries, Outreach & Community Life
St. Catherine Mission and Immaculate Heart of Mary are partners in two notable ministries that extend the Church's reach into the wider Skagit Valley: Immaculate Conception Regional School and the Helping Hands Food Bank. Within the parish, parishioners gather through the Knights of Columbus, the Ladies Guild, the Spanish Rosary prayer group, the Music and Liturgy ministry, and an Adoration group that meets regularly.
- Immaculate Conception Regional School (regional Catholic school partnership)
- Helping Hands Food Bank (outreach partnership)
- Knights of Columbus — meets Tuesday evenings
- Ladies Guild — meets monthly
- Spanish Rosary — Tuesday evenings
- Music and Liturgy ministry
- Adoration group
Sacraments & Pastoral Life
Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion, Marriage, and Funeral ministries are celebrated across the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches. For fiscal year 2024–2025 the SVCC family together celebrated 286 baptisms, 292 confirmations, 282 first communions, 21 marriages, and 48 funerals — testimony to an active sacramental life shared by the four parishes and the mission.
- 286 Baptisms (FY 2024–2025, all SVCC)
- 292 Confirmations (FY 2024–2025, all SVCC)
- 282 First Communions (FY 2024–2025, all SVCC)
- 21 Marriages (FY 2024–2025, all SVCC)
- 48 Funerals (FY 2024–2025, all SVCC)
Visit, Contact & Giving
The parish office serves both Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Catherine Mission and is staffed by Administrative Assistant Kassandra Ponce, Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Donations can be made online via the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches website, and weekly bulletins are available through Parishes Online.
- Address: 45603 Limestone St., Concrete, WA 98237
- Phone: (360) 855-0077
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.skagitcatholic.org/st-catherine-mission (historically ihm-sw.org)
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Administrative Assistant: Kassandra Ponce
- Donate online via QR code in bulletin or through the SVCC website
- Weekly bulletin: https://container.parishesonline.com/bulletins/05/1583/