About St. Columban · Yelm, Washington
St. Columban Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, serving the communities of McKenna, Rainier, Roy, Tenino, and Yelm in southeast Thurston County and southwest Pierce County, Washington. The parish traces its roots to the former St. Margaret Mary Church in McKenna, and its current church in Yelm is named for Saint Columbanus, the Irish-born 6th-century missionary to Europe. As of 2024, St. Columban Parish and its sister St. Peter Mission in Tenino have been grouped into a parish family with Sacred Heart Parish in Lacey under Partners in the Gospel, a strategic pastoral planning initiative of the Archdiocese of Seattle. The parish family is pastored by Very Rev. Bryan A. Ochs and currently serves roughly 396 households.
- Established
- 1960 (mission), 1968 (parish)
- Patron
- Saint Columbanus (Irish-born 6th-century missionary to Europe)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Bryan A. Ochs (pastor of the parish family including St. Columban, St. Peter Mission, and Sacred Heart Lacey, under Partners in the Gospel, 2024)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle (South Sound Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Columban is a welcoming, multi-site Catholic community rooted in over a century of faith in the Yelm area, with active liturgy, education, and outreach ministries for all ages. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, Saturday and Sunday confessions, OCIA for adults and children, faith formation for K–12 youth, a Rosary Prayer Group and a Spanish prayer group, and service through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Daughters of Mary, Homebound Ministries, and more. As part of a 2024 parish family with St. Peter Mission in Tenino and Sacred Heart in Lacey, it offers the strength of shared resources while remaining a small, personal community of about 396 households across southeast Thurston and southwest Pierce counties.
Mass times at St. Columban
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 pm at St. Columban
- Sunday 7:00–7:45 am at St. Peter Mission (Tenino) — bulletin lists 7:30–7:45 am
- First Friday 6:30–7:30 pm (during First Friday Devotions) at St. Columban
- By appointment: call 360-458-3031
Adoration times
- First Fridays 6:30 pm (Eucharistic Adoration / First Friday Devotions at St. Columban)
Parish History
Catholic faith in the Yelm area traces back to 1913, when Father M. Kreutzer said Mass in a McKenna barbershop hall. The faith community grew through the ministry of Benedictine priests from St. Martin's in Lacey, leading to the construction of St. Margaret Mary Church in McKenna in 1921. By 1958, the community had outgrown McKenna and the first Mass was offered in Yelm. The current St. Columban church was dedicated in June 1990, and the parish prayer garden was blessed in 2020.
- 1913: First Mass in McKenna by Father M. Kreutzer
- 1915–1916: Fathers Matthew Britt, O.S.B. and Raymond Neary, O.S.B. take turns serving the small congregation from St. Martin's
- 1921: St. Margaret Mary Church built in McKenna (Extension Society grant)
- Easter 1958: First Mass in Yelm by Father William Maat, O.S.B.
- 1960: Established as a mission; 1968: Established as a parish
- 1981: St. Margaret Mary closed; all become St. Columban parishioners
- June 10, 1990: New church consecrated by Archbishop Hunthausen
- November 23, 2020: Prayer garden blessed
- 2024: Joined Partners in the Gospel parish family with St. Peter Mission and Sacred Heart Lacey
Patron Saint — Saint Columbanus
The church is named for Saint Columbanus (c. 543–615), an Irish-born 6th-century missionary who evangelized across continental Europe and founded influential monasteries. His patronage was recommended for the parish church in Yelm, inheriting the congregation of the former St. Margaret Mary Church in McKenna. His feast day is November 23.
- Irish-born 6th-century missionary to Europe
- Feast day: November 23
- Statue of St. Columban installed in the prayer garden (2020)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Columban offers lifelong faith formation, including preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation) for children in Grades K–5 and youth in Grades 6–12, as well as adult formation. OCIA is available for adults and children over 7 entering the Church. Adult Bible Study meets Thursdays at 10:00 am at St. Peter in Tenino and 6:30 pm at St. Columban.
- Children's Faith Formation (Grades K–5)
- Youth Ministry & Confirmation (Grades 6–12)
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (and children over 7)
- Adult Bible Study: Thursday 10:00 am (St. Peter Tenino) and 6:30 pm (St. Columban)
- Confirmation for youth begins in 7th grade with a two-year preparation program on Sunday mornings
- Contact: [email protected] or 360-458-2360
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve at Mass as Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Readers, Rosary Leaders, Choir members, and Ushers & Greeters. The Altar Society cleans the church Thursdays at 9:00 am and tends the grounds on Tuesdays.
- Altar Servers (boys who have made First Communion; email [email protected])
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Readers (Lectors)
- Rosary Leaders
- Choir
- Ushers & Greeters
- Altar Society
Service & Outreach
The parish runs several outreach ministries, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which offers prayerful assistance to those in need, and Homebound Ministries, which brings Communion to the sick and homebound in Yelm, Roy, and McKenna. The Daughters of Mary women's group hosts coffee hour, the annual Giving Tree Christmas project, fundraisers, and special parish celebrations.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — voicemail 360-458-1904
- Homebound Ministries — Communion to the sick and homebound
- Daughters of Mary — meets 4th Tuesday 6:00 PM in Parish Hall (email [email protected])
- Giving Tree Project at Christmas
- Coffee hour after Sunday Masses
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish family is led by Very Rev. Bryan A. Ochs (Pastor), with Rev. William Dodoma as Parochial Vicar and Rev. Martin J. Bourke as Senior Priest in Residence. Fr. Brian Thompson serves as Priest Administrator at St. Columban and St. Peter Mission. Parish staff includes Jennifer Langham (PA for Admin, Liturgy & Music), Matthew Tolar (PA for Admin, Bookkeeping & Records), Gabriela Makinster (Elementary & Adult Faith Formation, habla Español), Chad Lucero (Youth Ministry & Confirmation), Steven Slater (St. Columban Maintenance), and Gilberto Espino (St. Peter Maintenance).
- Pastoral Council chair: Judith Cusick
- Parish Finance Council: Joseph Judge (St. Columban), Mari Evans (St. Peter)
- St. Peter Advisory Commission chair: Sherry Bachmann
- Office Manager: Debera Ricalde
- Bookkeeper on staff
- Faith Formation contact: 360-458-2360
St. Peter Mission — Tenino
St. Peter Mission in Tenino has been part of the parish's life since 1891 and is named for the apostle and first pope. It offers Sunday Mass at 8:00 am and First Friday Mass at 9:00 am, with confessions on Sunday mornings and anointing of the sick by request. It shares staff and administration with St. Columban.
- Address: 149 Keithahn St. S, Tenino, WA 98589
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 am
- First Friday Mass: 9:00 am
- Confessions: Sunday 7:30–7:45 am
- Anointing of the Sick: by request
- St. Peter Advisory Commission and Parish Finance Council representative on staff
Partners in the Gospel Parish Family (2024)
In 2024, as part of the Archdiocese of Seattle's Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning process, St. Columban Parish and St. Peter Mission were grouped with Sacred Heart Parish in Lacey under one pastor — Very Rev. Bryan A. Ochs. The partnership pools resources across the three communities while preserving the identity and ministry of each location.
- Sacred Heart Parish, Lacey (parish family partner)
- Partners in the Gospel initiative, Archdiocese of Seattle
- Single pastor across the family: Very Rev. Bryan A. Ochs
- South Sound Deanery
Prayer Garden & Campus
The parish prayer garden was blessed on November 23, 2020, funded by parishioner donations in conjunction with rebates from the Annual Catholic Appeal. A statue of St. Columban anchors the garden, which includes a paved pathway lined with memorial bricks honoring current and former clergy, parishioners, and families. Outdoor Stations of the Cross, a privacy fence, and benches continue to be added.
- Garden blessed November 23, 2020
- Statue of St. Columban installed
- Memorial bricks available for purchase (order form on parish website)
- Outdoor Stations of the Cross
- Privacy fence and benches
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. M. Kreutzer1913–
Offered the first Mass in McKenna, in a hall above the barbershop
- Fr. Matthew Britt, O.S.B.1915–1916
St. Martin's Lacey; offered monthly Mass
- Fr. Raymond Neary, O.S.B.1916+
Took charge of the small McKenna congregation, traveling by train from Lacey
- Fr. William Maat, O.S.B.Easter 1958+
Offered the first Mass in Yelm in the repurposed Barney Clark garage/hall
- Fr. Edward Receconi, O.S.B. and Fr. Patrick Dahlquist, O.S.B.1983–1984
Interim administrators
- Fr. Terence Wager, O.S.B.1984–2010
Installed as pastor; oversaw groundbreaking (1989) and dedication (1990) of the new Yelm church
- Fr. Duc Nguyen2010–2013
Appointed by Archbishop Brunett; ushered in deeper volunteer commitment
- Fr. Paul Weckert, O.S.B.2013–2016
Monk from St. Martin's Abbey
- Fr. Dean Mbuzi2016–2021
Appointed by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
- Fr. Brian Thompson2021–
Appointed by Archbishop Paul Etienne as priest administrator of St. Columban and St. Peter Mission