About St. Catherine · Fossil, Oregon
St. Catherine Church is a Roman Catholic mission parish in the tiny high-desert town of Fossil, Oregon — county seat of Wheeler County in eastern Oregon. It is a dependent mission of St. John Church in Condon and falls under the Diocese of Baker, whose territory stretches across the vast rural expanse of central and eastern Oregon. Because the Catholic population in this sparsely settled ranching country is small, Mass is celebrated on a circuit-style schedule rather than daily, with Saturday Vigil Mass in the evening and confessions before Mass. The parish is one of the smallest sacramental outposts in the diocese but serves as a vital spiritual anchor for Catholics scattered across the surrounding hills and rangelands.
- Patron
- St. Catherine (of Alexandria)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Robert M. Greiner
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baker (Baker City)
Why belong here
St. Catherine is a small, faithful mission that brings the Eucharist and the sacraments to Catholics in one of the most sparsely settled corners of Oregon. Parishioners gather for Saturday Vigil Mass and for reconciliation before Mass, sharing Catholic life across a wide rural area as a tight-knit community rooted in the ranching and farming heritage of Wheeler County. Worshipping here means joining a long-standing mission of the Diocese of Baker supported by St. John Church in Condon — a quiet, dedicated congregation where every member matters.
Mass times at St. Catherine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM (First Saturday of the month, before Vigil Mass)
About St. Catherine Church, Fossil
St. Catherine is a small Roman Catholic mission parish serving the remote ranching and high-desert community of Fossil in Wheeler County, eastern Oregon. It belongs to the Diocese of Baker and operates as a dependent mission of St. John Church in Condon. Catholics in this sparsely populated part of the state depend on the mission for weekly Eucharist and the sacraments, which are brought to them by a circuit priest from the Western Deanery.
Clergy & Pastoral Care
The mission is pastored by the priest assigned to St. John Church in Condon. The current pastor also serves as Dean of the Western Deanery of the Diocese of Baker, which means he oversees a wide circuit of small parishes and missions across central Oregon.
- Very Rev. Robert M. Greiner — Pastor of St. John, Condon; Dean of the Western Deanery; serves missions St. Catherine (Fossil) and St. Francis (Arlington).
- Parish phone line (St. John, Condon): (541) 384-5271
Parish Identity & Governance
The mission is operated under the registered nonprofit corporation 'Saint Catherine Catholic Church of Fossil, Inc.', which was incorporated in the State of Oregon on October 8, 2002. Its corporate authority rests with the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Baker, and its lay officers coordinate the day-to-day life of the mission in Fossil.
- Incorporated entity: Saint Catherine Catholic Church of Fossil, Inc.
- Oregon Registry Number: 10715894
- Registered agent / entity of record: Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Baker, 641 SW Umatilla Ave., Redmond, OR 97756
- Registered lay officers include Robert Greiner (President) and Donna McIntosh (Secretary).
Community & Setting
Fossil is the seat of Wheeler County, one of the most sparsely populated counties in Oregon and home to one of the smallest county seats in the United States. The Catholic community worshipping at St. Catherine reflects the ranching, farming, and small-town character of the John Day River country. St. Catherine is one of a chain of small Catholic missions in the Western Deanery — alongside St. John (Condon), St. Francis (Arlington), St. Alphonsus (Dufur), St. Mary (Wasco), St. John the Baptist (Grass Valley) and St. Mary (Hood River) — that together sustain Catholic life across a vast and beautiful rural region.
- Wheeler County seat: Fossil, Oregon.
- Sister missions in the Western Deanery include Condon, Arlington, Dufur, Wasco, Grass Valley, and Hood River.
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed at Mass. Because the mission's website is part of the diocesan Parish Finder page rather than a standalone parish site, the most reliable up-to-date information — including any seasonal changes to Mass times — comes through the parish phone line or the Diocese of Baker directly.
- Address: 675 Washington Street, Fossil, OR 97830
- Phone: (541) 384-5271
- Website: dioceseofbaker.org/parishfinder
- Mass times and confession schedule subject to seasonal adjustment — call ahead to confirm.