About St. Frances Xavier Cabrini · Benton City, Washington
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish is a small, bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Benton City, Washington, belonging to the Diocese of Yakima. Established in 1963 after serving as a mission since 1952, the parish serves the predominantly Hispanic agricultural community of the lower Yakima Valley under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S.-citizen saint and patron of immigrants. Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish on weekends, and the parish is administered jointly with Christ the King Parish in Richland.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
- Rector
- Msgr. Thomas C. Champoux (Administrator, also Pastor of Christ the King, Richland)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is a welcoming, bilingual parish that fits the rhythm of life in Benton City and the surrounding agricultural community. Weekend Mass is offered in both English and Spanish, with a Saturday Spanish vigil and two Sunday Masses, making it easy for local farming families to worship together. Because the parish is administered together with Christ the King in Richland, parishioners benefit from a wider team of clergy and shared resources, while keeping a small, neighborhood-sized worship community at 1000 Horne Road.
Mass times at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment only
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Parish Identity and Patron
The parish is named for St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917), the Italian-born foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart who worked among immigrants in the Americas. She was canonized in 1946 by Pope Pius XII as the first citizen of the United States to be raised to sainthood, and she is honored as patron of immigrants — a designation that resonates with the parish's bilingual, largely Hispanic farming-community membership.
- Patron: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
- Feast day: November 13
- Canonized 1946, first U.S.-citizen saint
- Patron of immigrants
History and Founding
According to the Diocese of Yakima's official chronology, St. Frances Cabrini Mission was opened in Benton City in 1952, only one year after the diocese itself was erected by Pope Pius XII. After eleven years as a mission, the community was formally raised to parish status in 1963. The parish has grown with the surrounding agricultural area and is now administered in tandem with Christ the King Parish in neighboring Richland.
- 1952 — Opened as a mission
- 1951 — Diocese of Yakima created by Pope Pius XII
- 1963 — Elevated to parish status
- Today administered from Christ the King, Richland
Clergy and Staff
The parish is administered jointly with Christ the King Parish in Richland. Msgr. Thomas C. Champoux, Pastor of Christ the King, serves as Administrator of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. He is assisted by Rev. Juan Manuel Flores (Parochial Vicar / Associate Pastor) and Rev. John Vogl (Parochial Vicar), both of whom also serve at Christ the King.
- Msgr. Thomas C. Champoux — Administrator ([email protected], 509-946-1675 ext. 241)
- Rev. Juan Manuel Flores — Parochial Vicar / Associate Pastor ([email protected], 509-865-4725)
- Rev. John Vogl — Parochial Vicar (509-588-3636)
- Monica Munoz — Secretary
- Caroline Patnode — Bookkeeper
Parish Office and Contact
The parish office is open on a limited weekly schedule, reflecting its administration from Christ the King in Richland. Parishioners can reach the parish by phone, email, or in person during office hours.
- Office hours: Friday 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (per diocese directory)
- Phone: (509) 588-3636
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 179, Benton City, WA 99320
Parish Council and Lay Leadership
The parish is served by a Parish Council that works with the priest-administrator in guiding parish life. Council members help coordinate the parish's worship, outreach, and community activities for the small but active Benton City congregation.
- Parish Council members include Darl Axtman and Ken Leist
Diocese of Yakima
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima, which was canonically erected on June 23, 1951, by Pope Pius XII from territory taken from the then-Diocese of Seattle (concurrently elevated to an archdiocese) and the Diocese of Spokane. The diocese covers Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat and Yakima Counties in central Washington, and is led by Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson. Its cathedral is St. Paul Cathedral in Yakima, and the diocese currently comprises 41 parishes and 7 Catholic schools.
- Diocese erected: June 23, 1951
- Current bishop: Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson
- Cathedral: St. Paul Cathedral, Yakima
- Counties served: Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Yakima