About St. Joseph · Otis Orchards, Washington
St. Joseph Catholic Parish is a small, family-style Roman Catholic parish located in the unincorporated community of Otis Orchards in the Spokane Valley, Washington. Founded in 1892 as the first church in the Spokane Valley, it belongs to the Diocese of Spokane and serves English-speaking Catholic families of the East Valley area. The parish is known for its strong devotional life, including daily Mass, regular Eucharistic Adoration, benediction, the rosary, and weekly confession, as well as its historic Pioneer Cemetery and hillside shrine.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. José Millan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
St. Joseph is the spiritual home of a tight-knit Catholic community in the Spokane Valley, offering daily and weekend Mass in English along with a robust devotional schedule that includes weekday rosary, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction, and a generous confession schedule. The parish carries more than 130 years of local Catholic heritage — including a Pioneer Cemetery and hillside shrine — and continues to invest in religious education, faith formation for children and youth, and outreach to the East Valley. It's a small parish where parishioners are known by name and where the Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion holds a central place in parish prayer life.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
- Wednesday: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM (in the Church)
- Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM (in the Chapel)
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM with Benediction at 5:30 PM
- Wednesday: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM (in the Church)
- First Friday of the Month: 6:00 AM to Midnight
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Catholic Parish traces its roots to the 1880s, when Spokane Valley pioneers welcomed visiting missionary priests into their homes. In 1891, about thirty valley pioneers organized with Father Barnabas Held, chaplain of Sacred Heart Hospital, to build their own church. With land donated by James McLaughlin at Trentwood, a cemetery plot from Max Rauscher, cash collected by Joseph Ulowetz, and carpentry by Richard Rotchford, the chapel was completed in 1892 — the first Catholic church in the Spokane Valley. Father Barnabas Held served as the first regular missionary priest from 1891 to 1897.
- 1880-1890: Missionaries celebrated occasional Mass in pioneer homes.
- 1891: Trentwood chapel construction begins; one acre from James McLaughlin, cemetery plot from Max Rauscher.
- 1892: Chapel completed; first burial (Permilia Rotchford); first Requiem Mass (for James McLaughlin); Ladies Altar Society organized.
- 1897-1908: Jesuit missionary priests from Coeur d'Alene, Adams, and Rupert take over.
- 1908: Chapel enlarged; Benedictine Sisters from Uniontown conduct summer religious instruction.
- 1912: Spokane Valley split into St. Mary's (south) and St. Joseph's (north).
- 1913: Father Henry Deichmann appointed to serve both parishes; rectory built at St. Mary's in Veradale.
- 1928: The little white Trentwood church destroyed by fire.
- 1929: New brick church on the original site dedicated to Bishop Charles D. White; property expands to 15 acres.
- 1936: 'Chapel-of-ease' Our Lady of the Lake built at Newman Lake for summer residents.
- 1952: St. Joseph's Pioneer Cemetery Group begins fundraising for perpetual cemetery care.
- 1953: After 62 years as a mission church, rectory built and Father John Prince becomes first resident pastor.
- 1956: Hillside shrine built by Henry Arbes adjacent to the cemetery.
- 1974: Fr. Charles M. Depiere arrives; new pews, carpet, altar, parish hall kitchen, CCD reorganization.
- 1983-1985: Fr. Eugene Glatt serves; remembers rattlesnakes around the parish house.
- 1985-1991: Fr. Roy Floch launches Food Fair and Woodchuck Run to raise building funds.
- 1991: Fr. Richard Hemenway begins planning the new Arden Road church.
- 1994: Groundbreaking May 7 for the present church.
- 1995: Present church dedicated in March.
- 1996: Fr. Jim Managan appointed pastor.
- 1999: Deacon Tom Heafey assigned to the parish.
- 2002: Teresa McCann hired as Director of Religious Education.
- 2008: Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski appointed pastor.
- 2020: Fr. José Millan appointed pastor.
Clergy and Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by Father José Millan, who was appointed pastor in 2020 and is also listed in the Diocese of Spokane priest directory. Deacon Tom Heafey has served the parish since 1999. The parish staff also includes a Director of Religious Education, a parish secretary, a finance staff member, and housekeeping.
- Rev. José Millan — Pastor (since 2020)
- Deacon Tom Heafey — (since 1999)
- Teresa McCann — Director of Religious Education (since 2002)
- Cindy Baird — Parish Secretary
- Becky Schoulta — Finances
- Barbara Haney — Housekeeping
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education at St. Joseph's has been a parish priority for well over a century, going back to the two-month summer religious instruction sessions run by the Benedictine Sisters from Uniontown in the early 1900s. The contemporary CCD program was completely reorganized in the mid-1970s under Fr. Depiere with a Religious Education Director and a full staff of teachers and volunteers. Today the parish's DRE, Teresa McCann, oversees sacramental preparation and ongoing faith formation for children and youth, and Father Roy Floch's emphasis on the youth program during the 1980s is still recalled as a milestone in parish life.
- Director of Religious Education: Teresa McCann (hired 2002).
- Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage.
- Ongoing CCD/Religious Education program for parish children and youth.
- Historical summer religious instruction by Benedictine Sisters from Uniontown (late 1800s-early 1900s).
Devotions and Prayer Life
Devotional life is a hallmark of St. Joseph's. The parish website features the Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a prominent place, reflecting the long-standing Sacred Heart devotion at the parish. Wednesday evenings are built around a full Holy Hour: Benediction at 5:30 PM, Mass at 6:00 PM, Confession at 6:30 PM, and Adoration from 6:30 to 10:00 PM.
- Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (parish devotion).
- Rosary before Mass on Thursday and Friday mornings at 8:00 AM.
- Wednesday Holy Hour: Benediction, Mass, Confession, and extended Adoration.
- First Friday Adoration: 6:00 AM to Midnight.
- Multiple weekly blocks of Eucharistic Adoration in both the Church and Chapel.
Parish Grounds: Pioneer Cemetery and Hillside Shrine
The parish grounds hold two pieces of living local history: St. Joseph's Pioneer Cemetery, which received its first burial (Permilia Rotchford) in 1891/92 and continues under the care of the Pioneer Cemetery Group (founded 1952 for perpetual care), and the 1956 hillside shrine planned and constructed by parishioner Henry Arbes. In the 1970s a permanent outdoor altar was built on the cemetery grounds, dedicated to the memory of the parish's youth and used for summer evening Masses.
- Pioneer Cemetery — first burial in 1891/92; perpetual-care fundraising begun 1952.
- Hillside shrine — built 1956 by Henry Arbes; path and concrete wall rebuilt in the 1970s.
- Outdoor cemetery altar — dedicated to the memory of parish youth; used for summer evening Masses.
Parish Identity and Heritage
St. Joseph's identifies itself as 'Established in 1892' and proudly calls itself the first church of the Spokane Valley. Its visual identity on the website is rooted in the Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion, and its history page records more than 130 years of continuous Catholic life on the north side of the Spokane River — from missionary Masses in pioneer homes, through Jesuit supply priests, Benedictine Sisters teaching summer school, the mission-church era, and finally the building of the present-day brick-and-beam church on Arden Road.
- Established 1892 — first Catholic church in the Spokane Valley.
- Parish tagline: 'St. Joseph Parish Otis Orchards Established in 1892.'
- Patron: St. Joseph (feast day March 19).
- Diocese: Diocese of Spokane.
- Visual devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus featured prominently on the parish homepage.
Getting Involved and Contact
New parishioners can register through the 'Register as a Parishioner' link on the parish website. The parish also publishes weekly bulletins, an online giving portal, a parish calendar, and Flocknote email/text communications to keep families connected. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
- Register as a Parishioner (online form on website).
- Weekly Bulletins (published on the parish website).
- Online Giving portal.
- Parish Calendar (events and Mass schedule).
- Flocknote parish communications (stjoeparish.flocknote.com).
- Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
- Phone: (509) 926-7133.
- Email: [email protected].
- Address: 4521 N. Arden Road, Otis Orchards, WA 99027.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Barnabas Held1891-1897
First regular missionary priest; his parish covered the whole Spokane Valley on both sides of the river.
- Jesuit Missionary Priests from Coeur d'Alene / Adams / Rupert (Fathers Kern, Bus [partial names in source], and others)1897-1908 (approx.)
Missionary priests supplied from Gonzaga-affiliated communities.
- Fr. Henry Deichmann (Msgr.)1913-1930
Appointed to serve both St. Joseph's and St. Mary's parishes; buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in 1931.
- Fr. Anthony Doschafter 1930
Served as mission-church pastor.
- Fr. John Condon1930s
Successor mission priest.
- Fr. M.P. Shiel1930s-1940s
Successor mission priest.
- Fr. Gerald McDonald, S.J.mid-20th century
Jesuit who served St. Joseph's.
- Fr. John Prince1953-
First resident pastor of St. Joseph's after 62 years as a mission church.
- Fr. Cyril Feisstafter 1953
Resident pastor succeeding Fr. Prince.
- Fr. Alfred Joda
Resident pastor in the post-1953 era.
- Fr. Charles Skok
Resident pastor.
- Msgr. William Van Ommeren
Resident pastor; parish holdings grew to 22 acres.
- Msgr. John Coleman
Resident pastor.
- Fr. Charles M. Depiere1974-1983 (approx.)
Came from Mary Queen, Spokane; oversaw extensive facility improvements and CCD reorganization; retired to Spokane.
- Fr. Eugene Glatt1983-1985 (approx.)
Energetic pastor remembered fondly by parishioners.
- Fr. Roy Floch1985-1991 (approx.)
Led first phase of new-church fundraising (Food Fair, Woodchuck Run); organized planning-building committee.
- Fr. Richard Hemenway1991-1996 (approx.)
Pushed plans for the new Arden Road church; groundbreaking May 7, 1994.
- Fr. Jim Managan1996-2008 (approx.)
Appointed pastor; Deacon Tom Heafey joined under his pastorate (1999).
- Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski2008-2020 (approx.)
Appointed pastor in 2008.
- Fr. José Millan2020-present
Current pastor, appointed in 2020.