About St. Joseph · Rockford, Washington
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a small rural Roman Catholic parish serving the farming community of Rockford in eastern Washington's Palouse region, within Whitman County. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Spokane and traces its history in the area back to 1901, making it one of the historic Catholic outposts of the Inland Empire. Today it is shepherded as part of a three-parish cluster by Rev. Maria Lazar, HGN, of the Heralds of Good News, and the community gathers for a single weekly Sunday Mass on South River Street. The parish is registered as a Washington State nonprofit — St. Joseph Catholic Parish — Rockford Public Benefit — and its only permanent online presence is its Facebook page, befitting its size.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Maria Lazar, HGN
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
St. Joseph's offers a small, traditional rural parish home in the heart of Washington's Palouse wheat country, where Catholic farming families have worshipped together since 1901. Sunday Mass at 11 AM anchors the week, and because the parish is small, members know one another by name. It is also served by a Heralds of Good News priest who shepherds it together with Sacred Heart in Tekoa and St. Catherine in Oakesdale, giving the community a wider fellowship of small-town parishes across Whitman County.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Rockford
St. Joseph's is a small Roman Catholic parish in the town of Rockford, in Whitman County in eastern Washington's Palouse region. It belongs to the Diocese of Spokane and gathers the Catholic families of this rural farming community for worship each Sunday. The parish is recognized by GCatholic (Church ID 37469) and is listed in the Diocese of Spokane's official parish directory.
- Located at 138 S. River Street, Rockford, WA 99030
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 54, Rockford, WA 99030
- Parish phone: (509) 291-3481
- Diocese of Spokane parish directory entry: St. Joseph, Rockford
History of the Parish
According to GCatholic, the Church of St. Joseph in Rockford was established in 1901, in the early period of Catholic settlement across the Palouse. The parish was formally organized as a Washington State nonprofit — St. Joseph Catholic Parish — Rockford Public Benefit (UBI #602724580) — incorporated on May 4, 2007, but it has served Rockford's Catholic farming families continuously for well over a century.
- Founded 1901 (per GCatholic)
- Incorporated in Washington as St. Joseph Catholic Parish — Rockford Public Benefit, 2007
- Pastors named in state filings include Rev. Joseph Bell, Msgr. William Van Ommeren, Rev. Michael Ishida, and Rev. Rich Poole
- Lay governors on file include Linda Wigin and Mark Willard
Patron and Feast Day
The parish is named for St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and patron of the universal Church, of families, and of workers. His principal feast day in the Roman Catholic calendar is March 19.
- Patron: St. Joseph
- Feast day: March 19
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. Joseph's is currently served as part of a three-parish cluster. In the Diocese of Spokane's 2025 priest assignments, announced by Bishop Thomas Daly, Rev. Maria Lazar, HGN, was appointed pastor of St. Catherine Parish in Oakesdale, Sacred Heart Parish in Tekoa, and St. Joseph's of Rockford, with residence at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center. His office contact line is (509) 448-1224.
- Current Pastor: Rev. Maria Lazar, HGN (Heralds of Good News)
- Assignment effective July 1, 2025
- Cluster parishes: St. Catherine (Oakesdale), Sacred Heart (Tekoa), St. Joseph (Rockford)
- Priest's residence: Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, Spokane
Sacramental and Devotional Life
As a small parish, St. Joseph's does not publish a detailed sacramental schedule online. Schedules for Reconciliation (confession), Eucharistic adoration, weekday Masses, and any devotions are typically coordinated locally with the pastor and may be announced via the parish's Facebook page. For baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick, RCIA, or funeral arrangements, parishioners are encouraged to contact the parish office directly.
- Reconciliation: by arrangement (not published online)
- Adoration / other devotions: not published online
- Contact for sacraments: parish phone (509) 291-3481
Ministries and Parish Life
Detailed information about specific ministries, lay groups, religious education programs, choirs, or outreach programs at St. Joseph's is not published online. As a small rural parish, much of its organizational and volunteer life is organized informally and shared through the parish's Facebook page.
- Detailed ministries list not published online
- Parish communications via Facebook (facebook.com/StJosephsRockford)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Bell
Listed as Governor/officer of St. Joseph Catholic Parish — Rockford Public Benefit in Washington State filings; served as pastor of the parish.
- Rev. Michael Ishida
Listed as an officer of the parish nonprofit.
- Msgr. William Van Ommeren
Listed as an officer of the parish nonprofit; pastor at some point in the parish's history.
- Rev. Rich Poole
Listed as an officer of the parish nonprofit.
- Rev. Maria Lazar, HGN2025–present
Appointed by Bishop Thomas Daly effective July 1, 2025, as pastor of the Rockford–Tekoa–Oakesdale cluster (St. Joseph's of Rockford, Sacred Heart of Tekoa, and St. Catherine of Oakesdale), residing at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center.