About St. Henry · Grand Coulee, Washington
St. Henry Parish is a small Roman Catholic mission-turned-parish serving Grand Coulee, Washington, and the surrounding Big Bend communities of Grant County. Established in its current parish form in 1955 and today part of the Diocese of Yakima, it is pastored jointly with neighboring parishes from the rectory at St. Joseph in Waterville. The parish holds Sunday and weekday Mass in English, offers Reconciliation before Sunday Mass, and is closely linked to Holy Angels Mission in Coulee City, St. Patrick in Hartline, and St. Rose of Lima in Ephrata as a regional Catholic presence in the Columbia Basin.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- St. Henry
- Rector
- Rev. Cesar Izquerido
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
St. Henry is a small, tight-knit Catholic community in the Columbia Basin that takes seriously its role as a spiritual hub for the wider Big Bend area, sharing its pastor with neighboring parishes and reaching out through CCD faith formation, social outreach (Mary Jane Bailey as the social outreach coordinator), and seasonal parish events such as the annual Christmas Concert that collects donations for the local food bank. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, with Confession available before Mass and a weekday Mass on Thursdays.
Mass times at St. Henry
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (before the 11:00 a.m. Mass)
- Or by appointment
Parish Overview
St. Henry Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Yakima serving Grand Coulee, Washington, in the Columbia Basin. Listed by the diocese as established in 1955, it is a small but historically rich community that has served Big Bend Catholics since the 1930s and today shares its pastor with surrounding parishes and missions.
- Established as a parish: 1955
- Diocese: Yakima
- Parish address: 590 W. Grand Coulee Ave., Grand Coulee, WA 99133
- Mailing address: P.O. Box P, Grand Coulee, WA 99133
- Phone: (509) 633-1180
History of St. Henry Parish
Catholic life in the Big Bend predates Grand Coulee Dam. Priests out of Wilbur, Almira, and Hartline celebrated Mass in homes for decades; Father Theophilus Pyper began regular Big Bend mission work in December 1901. In the 1920s Father John Sondergeld came down from Okanogan for occasional Masses near the future West Power House. The breakthrough came on March 18, 1934, when Father Anthony Farrelly, pastor of Sacred Heart in Wilbur, drove his Model A to Grand Coulee and celebrated Mass in a schoolhouse on the Continental Land townsite, soon moving to the American Legion Hall. By early 1936 St. Henry's Church was completed; on March 3, 1935 Father Farrelly crossed the Columbia by ferry to begin Mass in Mason City for Coulee Dam Catholics (St. Benedict's was dedicated April 1, 1936). In 1937 Bishop Charles White of Spokane raised St. Benedict's to parish status and made St. Henry's a mission under Father Farrelly.
- 1934 — First Mass in Grand Coulee (Father Anthony Farrelly, Continental Land schoolhouse)
- 1936 — St. Henry's Church completed
- 1937 — St. Henry's designated a mission of the Spokane diocese
- 1952 — Mission closed
- 1955 — Reopened as a parish under Father William Dugan (October 30, 1955)
- 1956 — Father John Schindler arrives; Federal Avenue storefront remodeled as a church
- 1959 — Coulee Dam Engineers Town dormitory purchased for parish hall, rectory, CCD center, and chapel
- July 17, 1965 — New St. Henry's Church dedicated by Bishop Joseph P. Dougherty, first Bishop of Yakima
The Pastor and Regional Cluster
St. Henry is administered regionally from St. Joseph Parish in Waterville and shares its priest with neighboring parishes and missions in the Columbia Basin. The Diocese of Yakima currently lists Rev. Cesar Izquerido as pastor of St. Henry, alongside St. Rose of Lima in Ephrata, St. Joseph in Waterville, and Holy Angels Mission in Coulee City. The 2020 Diocese of Yakima Official Directory lists Rev. Teodulo Taneo as pastor (assigned September 1, 2019), and Rev. Robert P. Himes as Pastor Emeritus.
- Rev. Cesar Izquerido — current pastor (Diocese of Yakima listing)
- Rev. Teodulo Taneo — pastor per 2020 directory, assigned Sept. 1, 2019
- Rev. Robert P. Himes — Pastor Emeritus
- Pastoral Council Chair: Sue Shear
- Council Members: Kris Hare, Steve Tomaszewicz, Jim & Tracy Maher
- Social Outreach: Mary Jane Bailey
Faith Formation and Youth
St. Henry maintains a CCD / Faith Formation program for the parish's children. Parish events have included Family Catechesis followed by lunch and face painting for all children ages K–5, and an All Souls Day Mass celebrated together with the youth of the parish. These programs reflect the parish's small-town, multigenerational character, where faith formation is closely tied to parish social life.
- CCD / Faith Formation program
- Family Catechesis days with lunch and activities for K–5 children
- Youth participation in All Souls Day Mass
Parish Life and Outreach
St. Henry's community life is marked by warm, hands-on involvement. The Pastoral Council, chaired by Sue Shear, guides parish affairs; social outreach is coordinated by Mary Jane Bailey. The weekly bulletin is edited by Jami Clark, who also maintains the parish's Facebook page. Each year the parish hosts a Christmas Concert in the parish hall, with attendees invited to bring a donation for the local food bank, and the parish hall hosts receptions following Christian Burial Masses.
- Annual Christmas Concert with food bank donation
- Parish hall receptions after funeral Masses
- Bulletin published weekly; posted on Facebook
- Local social outreach ministry
Visiting and Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Henry. The church is located on Grand Coulee Avenue in the town of Grand Coulee, just minutes from the famous Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. The mailing address and parish phone are the primary ways to reach the parish office; appointments for sacraments such as marriage can be arranged by calling.
- Address: 590 W. Grand Coulee Ave., Grand Coulee, WA 99133
- Mailing: P.O. Box P, Grand Coulee, WA 99133
- Phone: (509) 633-1180
- Website: yakimadiocese.org parish directory page
- Facebook: St. Henry Catholic Church
Related Parishes in the Big Bend Cluster
St. Henry is the hub for a regional Catholic cluster administered from St. Joseph in Waterville. Parishes and missions served in connection with St. Henry include Holy Angels Mission in Coulee City, St. Patrick in Hartline (administered from St. Henry's mailing address), and St. Rose of Lima in Ephrata. Together they form a network of small communities sustaining Catholic life across Grant and Douglas counties.
- St. Joseph Parish — Waterville (administrative hub)
- St. Rose of Lima Parish — Ephrata
- Holy Angels Mission — Coulee City
- St. Patrick Parish — Hartline (administered from St. Henry)
- St. Anne's — Bridgeport (established 1964)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father William Dugan1955–
Reopened St. Henry's as a parish on October 30, 1955, after it had been closed in 1952.
- Father John Schindler1956–
Came in August 1956; remodeled a Federal Avenue storefront into a church and in 1959 bought/remodeled a Coulee Dam Engineers Town dormitory for a parish hall, rectory, CCD center, and chapel.
- Father Heneghan
Succeeded Father Schindler.
- Father Corrigan
Succeeded Father Schindler in the succession.
- Father Simpson
- Father Macke
- Father Bryon
- Rev. Sean McManamon
Pastor in the years approaching the 2020 directory.
- Rev. Robert P. Himes
Listed as Pastor Emeritus in the 2020 Diocese of Yakima Official Directory; still associated with the parish.
- Rev. Teodulo TaneoAssigned September 1, 2019
Listed as Pastor in the 2020 Official Directory, administered from St. Joseph, Waterville.
- Rev. Cesar Izquerido
Current pastor listed on the Diocese of Yakima parish page, serving St. Henry along with St. Rose of Lima Ephrata, St. Joseph Waterville, and Holy Angels Coulee City.