About St. Gall · Colton, Washington
St. Gall Catholic Church is a small rural parish in Colton, Washington, in the rolling Palouse hills about 12 miles south of Pullman and Washington State University. Founded in 1893 by German Catholic homesteaders, St. Gall has been served continuously by the Diocese of Spokane for more than 130 years and today shares a pastor with neighboring St. Boniface in Uniontown. The parish remains the heart of a tight-knit farming community and supports Guardian Angel–St. Boniface Catholic School, the only remaining rural Catholic school in Washington State.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- St. Gall (Gallus of Clermont)
- Rector
- Rev. Anil Kumar Narisetti, HGN
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
St. Gall offers the warmth of a small, multi-generational rural parish where nearly every family knows every other family. Worship is celebrated in a traditional weekend rotation with both Saturday evening and Sunday morning Masses, plus daily Mass on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Eucharistic adoration, and the Rosary. The parish is paired with St. Boniface in Uniontown under Fr. Anil Kumar Narisetti, HGN, and together they run Guardian Angel–St. Boniface Catholic School — a K-8 school that has served local Catholic families since 1893 and remains the only remaining rural Catholic school in Washington State. Religious education and youth ministry round out a parish community rooted in faith, farming, and family.
Mass times at St. Gall
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday at 3:00 PM (at the same location as the Saturday vigil Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesdays at 8:30 AM (before daily Mass, with praying of the Rosary)
- Fridays at 8:30 AM (before daily Mass, with praying of the Rosary) — note: daily Mass on Fridays is at St. Boniface in Uniontown
About St. Gall Parish
St. Gall Catholic Church is a small rural parish in Colton, Washington, in the rolling Palouse hills of southeastern Washington about 12 miles south of Pullman and Washington State University. Founded in 1893, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Spokane and today shares its pastor with neighboring St. Boniface Church in Uniontown. The parish community traces its roots to German Catholic homesteaders who settled the area in the late 1800s, and that heritage of farming, family, and faith continues to define life at St. Gall.
- Patron: St. Gall (Gallus of Clermont) — feast day October 16
- Diocese: Spokane
- Founded: 1893
- Combined parish grouping: St. Gall (Colton) + St. Boniface (Uniontown)
- Affiliated school: Guardian Angel–St. Boniface Catholic School (K-8)
History
The Catholic community at Colton traces back to German Catholic homesteaders of the late 1800s. A subscription list for a Catholic church in Colton survives from 1889, and from those earliest years the parish produced ledgers, correspondence, photographs, and a sermon by its founding priest. St. Gall was formally organized in 1893 and has been in continuous service ever since. In 1993, the parish celebrated its centennial with a published history and membership directory; that anniversary publication, along with the broader parish record collection (1889–1993), is preserved at Washington State University Libraries in Pullman.
- 1889: Earliest surviving records — subscription list for a Catholic church in Colton
- 1893: Parish formally established; school founded the same year
- Rev. James L. Frei (d. 1922) was St. Gall's founding priest
- Ernest Becker family papers (1889–1943) document early parish life
- 1993: Centennial pamphlet and membership directory published
- Today: Paired with St. Boniface, Uniontown, under a single pastor
Clergy, Staff, and Parish Council
St. Gall is currently served by Rev. Anil Kumar Narisetti, HGN, who pastors both St. Gall and St. Boniface parishes. Parish life is supported by a small staff of lay ministers and a parish council that meets regularly to guide the community's ministry and mission.
- Pastor: Rev. Anil Kumar Narisetti, HGN
- Office Secretary: Sue Semler (St. Boniface & St. Gall)
- Religious Education Director: Sarah Cucchiara
- Youth Minister: Isabella Mannano
- Parish Council Chair: Jeannie Eylar
- Parish Council Vice Chair: Sarah Cucchiara
- Parish Council Secretary: Donna Wolf
- Council members: Brenda Wolf, Kyle Schultheis, Carissa Scharnhorst, Scott Heitstuman, Rich Stout
Sacraments
St. Gall prepares parishioners for the sacraments of initiation and the other rites of the Catholic Church. Faith formation and sacramental preparation are coordinated across the St. Gall / St. Boniface parish grouping through the Religious Education Director.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation
- First Eucharist
- Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturday 3:00 PM
Ministries and Faith Formation
St. Gall supports religious education for children and youth, and works alongside St. Boniface to sustain parish life across the two small towns. Ministries are coordinated by a small staff and guided by the elected Parish Council.
- Religious Education — Sarah Cucchiara, Director
- Youth Ministry — Isabella Mannano
- Parish Council (Chair: Jeannie Eylar)
Guardian Angel–St. Boniface Catholic School
The parishes of St. Gall and St. Boniface together operate Guardian Angel–St. Boniface Catholic School (GASB), the only remaining rural Catholic school in the State of Washington. Located on Steptoe Street in Colton, GASB has been educating local children in the Catholic tradition since 1893.
- Grades served: Kindergarten through 8 (with a two-year kindergarten program for 4-year-olds)
- Location: 306 Steptoe Street, Colton, WA 99113
- School phone: (509) 229-3579
- Accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA)
- Approved by the Washington State Board of Education
- Certificate of excellence from the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)
- Approximately 5 students per teacher, allowing for individualized attention
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James L. Frei1893–
St. Gall's founding priest; a sermon by him is preserved in the parish records at WSU Libraries (d. 1922).