About St. Joseph · Chehalis, Washington
St. Joseph Church in Chehalis, Washington, is the Catholic parish serving the city of Chehalis and surrounding Lewis County as part of Parish Family 42 in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Originally founded in 1889 as St. John the Evangelist, it was renamed St. Joseph in 1923 by Father Eugene Duffy to avoid mail confusion with the town's Lutheran and Episcoparian St. John congregations. The parish shares weekend and weekday Mass coverage with three sister communities — St. Mary in Centralia, St. Francis Xavier in Toledo, and St. Yves Mission in Harmony — and operates St. Joseph School, the only Catholic school in Lewis County. A weekly Spanish-language Mass reflects its growing Latino community.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Milhton H. Scarpetta
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in a small-town setting: Vigil and Sunday Mass in English, a weekly Spanish Mass, daily weekday Masses, Saturday reconciliation, and Friday adoration that runs into the late afternoon. Parish Family 42 connects Chehalis with sister communities in Centralia, Toledo, and Harmony, while St. Joseph School provides the only Catholic K–8 education in Lewis County. The parish reaches out to the homebound, nursing homes, hospitals, and corrections facilities, and welcomes a vibrant Latino community into its liturgical and faith-formation life.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Wednesday 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM (half hour before Mass)
- Friday 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM (half hour before Mass)
Adoration times
- Friday after 9:00 AM Mass until 5:00 PM
About St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Church is the Catholic parish of Chehalis, Washington, and one of four communities that make up Parish Family 42 in Lewis County within the Archdiocese of Seattle. Founded in 1889 and renamed St. Joseph in 1923, the parish shares priests and sacramental life with sister churches in Centralia, Toledo, and Harmony. It welcomes both longtime local families and a growing Latino community, with Mass celebrated in English and Spanish each week.
Parish History
Bishop Jung canonically established the Chehalis parish in 1889 as St. John the Evangelist, but no resident pastor was assigned until Father Gustave Achtergael arrived in 1892. The parish observed its centennial in 1992. Under Father Eugene Duffy (pastor 1922–1926) the parish broke ground on a combined school and temporary church at Sixth and McFadden, dedicated in October 1923; the school auditorium served as the worship space for decades. In February 1944 Duffy formally explained to the diocesan chancellor why he had petitioned Bishop O'Dea to rename the parish St. Joseph — mail for sacraments was being misdirected to two other Chehalis St. John congregations. Bishop Thomas A. Connolly dedicated the present church at Sixth and Cascade Avenue on June 12, 1960.
- 1889 — Parish founded as St. John the Evangelist
- 1892 — Father Gustave Achtergael becomes first resident pastor (served until 1901)
- 1922 — Father Eugene Duffy launches capital campaign
- 1923 — School-church building dedicated at Sixth and McFadden; parish renamed St. Joseph
- 1960 — Present church at Sixth and Cascade dedicated by Bishop Thomas A. Connolly
St. Joseph School
Founded alongside the 1923 school-church building under Father Eugene Duffy, St. Joseph School is the only Catholic school in Lewis County. It serves pre-K through eighth grade and draws students from across the county — including from the sister parishes of St. Mary Centralia, St. Francis Xavier Toledo, and St. Yves Harmony. The school marked its 100th anniversary in 2023.
- Opened in October 1923 with 40 students in year one, swelling to 100 the next year
- First eighth-grade class graduated June 1924
- 2022–23 enrollment: 145 students in pre-K through 8th grade
- Part of a four-parish Catholic school draw
Parish Family 42
In 2024, the Archdiocese of Seattle grouped parishes into Parish Families as part of the Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning initiative. St. Joseph Chehalis belongs to Parish Family 42 alongside three sister communities, all sharing pastoral leadership and rotating Mass schedules across Lewis County.
- St. Joseph, Chehalis
- St. Mary, Centralia
- St. Francis Xavier, Toledo (the oldest Catholic mission in Washington State, est. 1838)
- St. Yves Mission, Harmony
Ministries and Faith Formation
The parish supports faith formation for children, youth, and adults in both English and Spanish, along with music ministry through a choir director and outreach to those who cannot come to church. Pastoral staff provide ongoing care for parishioners in nursing homes, hospitals, the homebound, and correctional facilities.
- Faith Formation (English and Spanish)
- Youth Ministry
- Choir / Music Director
- Pastoral care for the sick, homebound, and incarcerated
Clergy and Staff
St. Joseph is currently served by a pastor and parochial vicar, assisted by two deacons and a team of lay pastoral staff handling faith formation, youth ministry, music, and administration for the parish family.
- Rev. Milhton H. Scarpetta — Pastor
- Rev. Thomas Selvaraj Anthony Muthu, H.G.N. — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Loren Lane
- Deacon Arturo
- Melody Smith — Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation
- Adriana Garibay — Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation (Spanish) / Bookkeeper
- Jeanette Brewer — Pastoral Assistant for Administration
- Sarah Clyde — Choir Director
- Gay Lynn Moneymaker
Contact and Location
The parish office is located just off downtown Chehalis, with the church a short walk away on Cascade Avenue. An emergency line is provided for after-hours pastoral needs such as anointing before death.
- Parish Office: 157 SW 6th St., Chehalis, WA 98532
- Church: 682 SW Cascade St., Chehalis, WA 98532
- Phone: (360) 748-4953
- Emergency line (medical / death): (360) 880-7555
- Fax: (360) 748-3149
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://wlpcatholic.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wlpcatholicchurches/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Gustave Achtergael1892–1901
First resident pastor of the Chehalis parish (then St. John the Evangelist).
- Father Eugene Duffy1922–1926
Launched the school/church capital campaign; oversaw the 1923 dedication of the Sixth and McFadden complex; petitioned Bishop O'Dea to rename the parish St. Joseph.