About St. Charles · Burlington, Washington
St. Charles Catholic Church is a diverse parish located at 935 Peterson Road in Burlington, Washington, serving the Burlington, Bow-Edison, Samish Island, Bay View, and Alger communities of the Skagit Valley. It is part of the Archdiocese of Seattle's Northern Deanery and is one of five parishes in Skagit Catholic Parish Family #3, alongside Immaculate Conception in Mount Vernon, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Sedro-Woolley, Sacred Heart in La Conner, and St. Catherine in Concrete. The parish is bilingual (English and Spanish), hosts the Tri-Parish Food Bank, runs a Youth Migrant Project, and partners with Immaculate Conception Regional School in Mount Vernon. Fr. Tom McMichael serves as pastor over the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches.
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas G. (Tom) McMichael
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (Northern Deanery, Skagit County)
Why belong here
St. Charles welcomes both long-time parishioners and visitors into a diverse, bilingual Catholic community rooted in the Skagit Valley. Weekend Masses are celebrated in both English and Spanish, weekday Mass includes a bilingual Wednesday liturgy, and the parish operates the Tri-Parish Food Bank — a cooperative ministry with Sacred Heart (La Conner) and Immaculate Conception (Mount Vernon) that distributes food, diapers, and baby food with no eligibility requirements. The parish also partners with Immaculate Conception Regional School in Mount Vernon and runs a Youth Migrant Project serving farmworker families.
Mass times at St. Charles
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 10:00 am – 10:15 am
- Wednesday 5:15 pm – 5:45 pm
- Saturday 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
Adoration times
- Friday 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
Welcome from Pastor Fr. Tom McMichael
Fr. Tom McMichael, pastor of St. Charles and the neighboring Skagit Valley Catholic Churches, extends a personal welcome on the parish website. He frames the parish identity around its history as a community 'founded by a carpenter,' inviting parishioners to carry on 'lessons in love and sacrifice, fidelity and mercy' through the sacramental and parish life of St. Charles.
Tri-Parish Food Bank
Hosted at St. Charles, the Tri-Parish Food Bank is a cooperative ministry of St. Charles (Burlington), Sacred Heart (La Conner), and Immaculate Conception (Mount Vernon). It distributes nutritious food each week with no eligibility requirements and no fees, and also provides diapers and baby food. Partner agencies include Skagit Community Action Agency, Northwest Harvest, and Food Lifeline. Director Lilia Ortiz leads the effort, with Lupita Hernandez serving as Assistant Director.
- Location: 935 Peterson Rd, Burlington, WA 98233
- Phone: 360-757-2563
- Languages: English and Spanish
- Hours: Saturday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (walk-in)
- Additional services: diapers and baby food available
Youth Faith Formation & Migrant Ministry
St. Charles places strong emphasis on faith formation for young people and on outreach to migrant farmworkers in the Skagit Valley. Pablo Raygoza serves as Youth Faith Formation Director, and the parish hosts a Youth Migrant Project that supports migrant youth and their families.
- Youth Faith Formation — Pablo Raygoza, Director (360-757-0128)
- Youth Migrant Project — parish-hosted outreach to migrant families
RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation
St. Charles offers the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for those seeking to become Catholic or to complete their Sacraments of Initiation. The parish invites inquirers to contact the office to learn about the catechumenate process.
- Contact: [email protected] or 360-757-0128
- Office: 935 Peterson Rd, Burlington, WA
Music & Liturgy
Music and liturgical preparation at St. Charles is coordinated regionally for the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches under Janette Strand, Director of Music and Liturgy. The bilingual weekend and weekday liturgies are supported by parish musicians who serve the English and Spanish Masses.
- Director of Music and Liturgy — Janette Strand (360-336-6622, ext. 128)
Immaculate Conception Regional School Partnership
St. Charles partners with Immaculate Conception Regional School in Mount Vernon, the regional Catholic elementary school for Skagit Valley families. Through this partnership, parish children have access to Catholic K-8 education, and the parish supports the school's mission through its ministerial and financial participation.
- School: Immaculate Conception Regional School, Mount Vernon, WA
Parish Family #3 — Partners in the Gospel
In 2024, the Archdiocese of Seattle grouped parishes into parish families under the Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning initiative. St. Charles belongs to Parish Family #3, which is led by a single pastor (currently Fr. Tom McMichael) and serves the greater areas of Mount Vernon, Burlington, La Conner, Sedro-Woolley, and Concrete.
- Parish Family #3 parishes: Immaculate Conception (Mount Vernon), St. Charles (Burlington), Immaculate Heart of Mary (Sedro-Woolley), Sacred Heart (La Conner), St. Catherine (Concrete)
- Northern Deanery, Skagit County
- Lead pastor: Rev. Thomas G. McMichael
Parish Staff & Contacts
St. Charles shares staff across the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches. The parish office is staffed during the week and can be reached by phone or email for sacramental questions, food bank needs, faith formation, or general inquiries.
- Fr. Tom McMichael — Pastor
- Rev. Francisco J. Cancino — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Victor Raj Anas Dass, H.G.N. — Parochial Vicar
- Brenda Rocha — Administrative Assistant (360-757-0128)
- Pablo Raygoza — Youth Faith Formation Director (360-757-0128)
- Lilia Ortiz — Tri-Parish Food Bank Director (360-757-2563)
- Lupita Hernandez — Food Bank Assistant Director (360-757-2563)
- Shari Mentel — Director of Operations (360-336-6622, ext. 127)
- Janette Strand — Director of Music and Liturgy (360-336-6622, ext. 128)
- Jamie Cline — Director of Finance (360-336-6622, ext. 123)
- Rudy Hernandez — Facilities Supervisor (360-899-7231)
Honoring Parish History
The parish website includes a page titled 'Honoring Parish History (St. Mary Edison / St. Charles Burlington),' acknowledging the predecessor St. Mary community in Edison as part of the living legacy of today's St. Charles parish.
- Predecessor community: St. Mary, Edison (now folded into St. Charles)
- Featured in parish welcome and pastor's reflections
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas G. McMichael
Current pastor of St. Charles Burlington and the Skagit Valley Catholic Churches