About St. Joseph · Waterville, Washington
St. Joseph Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in Waterville, Washington, serving the farming communities of north-central Douglas County within the Diocese of Yakima. Founded in 1892, it is one of the older Catholic congregations in the region, originally ministered to from St. Mary's Mission in Omak before being assigned its first resident pastor in 1905. The parish gathers for a weekday Mass, a Saturday Vigil, and a Sunday Mass in its striking 1916 brick church at the corner of Poplar and Chelan streets — a local architectural landmark that anchors the parish's presence in this close-knit agricultural community.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Cesar Izquerido
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
St. Joseph Parish offers the faithful of Waterville and the surrounding wheat-growing country of north-central Douglas County a genuine small-town Catholic home: weekday and Sunday Mass in a striking historic 1916 brick church, Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning confessions, and ministry to neighbouring mission parishes from a pastor based here. Deacons, liturgical ministers, bilingual outreach, faith formation for youth, and a parish council of local parishioners keep the community connected. For Catholics travelling across the Waterville Plateau or for families who value an intimate, long-standing parish, St. Joseph's remains a faithful weekend destination.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 p.m. (or by appointment)
- Sunday 7:30 a.m. (or by appointment)
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Parish traces its roots to 1890, when Father DeRouge of St. Mary's Mission in Omak began riding to Waterville to offer monthly Mass in the home of pioneer Joseph Brockman. Within two years, the missionary priest had acquired lots on the western edge of town and completed a simple gabled frame church in the winter of 1892. Over the next decade, the community grew steadily, and in 1905 Father Joseph Lutyen became the parish's first resident pastor. Under his leadership and that of his successors — most notably Father J. M. Schramm — the parish launched mission churches across the surrounding plateau and outgrew its first home, prompting the move in 1916 to the present brick church at Poplar and Chelan.
- 1890 – Father DeRouge of St. Mary's Mission, Omak, begins monthly Masses in Joseph Brockman's home in Waterville.
- 1892 – Two lots at the western edge of town are purchased and a frame church is completed that winter.
- 1905 – Father Joseph Lutyen is named the first resident pastor.
- 1905–1930 – Mission churches established in Farmer (St. Hubert's), Withrow (Sacred Heart), Mansfield (St. Mary's), and Leahy (Immaculate Conception).
- October 1915 – Old church property and parsonage sold to S. A. D. Wilson; lots at Poplar and Chelan acquired.
- September 1916 – Construction contract awarded to local builders Bell and Haskins; ground broken the same month.
- Christmas Day 1916 – First Mass celebrated in the new church.
- April 1917 – Solemn dedication by Bishop Augustin Schinn of Spokane, with Father J. M. Van de Wall of Wenatchee assisting Father Schramm.
The 1916 Church Building
The brick church that has housed St. Joseph's parish since Christmas Day 1916 is one of the most distinctive buildings in Waterville. Designed by architect Calhoun & Bell and built by Bell and Haskins, it is a Late Romanesque Revival / Italian Romanesque structure with a tall bell tower, arched windows, and decorative brickwork. The interior was celebrated for its exposed-truss ceiling, great chancel arch, large seating capacity, and a full basement that has long hosted parish and community gatherings. It is listed on the Waterville Register and is recorded as Property ID 753 in the Washington State Historic Property Inventory.
- Style: Late Romanesque Revival / Italian Romanesque
- Form: T-plan, front-gabled church
- Cladding: stretcher-bond brick
- Roof: standing-seam metal
- Foundation: poured concrete
- Notable exterior features: tall bell tower, arched windows, decorative brickwork
- Notable interior features: exposed truss ceiling, great chancel arch, large seating capacity, full basement
- Architect: Calhoun & Bell
- Builder: Bell and Haskins
Mission Churches and Pastoral Outreach
From its earliest decades, St. Joseph has been a missionary parish. Between 1905 and 1930, its pastors founded mission congregations across the Waterville Plateau in Farmer, Withrow, Mansfield, and Leahy. Today the parish continues to provide pastoral administration for neighbouring communities, including St. Henry Parish in Grand Coulee and Holy Angels Mission in Coulee City, both administered from the Waterville rectory.
- St. Hubert's — Farmer
- Sacred Heart — Withrow
- St. Mary's — Mansfield
- Immaculate Conception — Leahy
- St. Henry Parish — Grand Coulee (administered from Waterville)
- Holy Angels Mission — Coulee City (administered from Waterville)
Pastor and Parish Staff
The parish is shepherded today by Rev. Cesar Izquerido, who likewise serves as pastor of St. Rose of Lima in Ephrata, St. Henry in Grand Coulee, and Holy Angels Mission in Coulee City. The parish is sustained by a small, devoted lay staff and a roster of deacons and ministry leaders that handles faith formation, liturgy, communications, bilingual outreach, and finances.
- Rev. Cesar Izquerido — Pastor
- Deacon Greg Haberman
- Krystle Crofcheck — Bookkeeper
- Ann Whitehall — Secretary / Finances
- John Haberman — Liturgical Ministry
- Luz Covarrubias — Bilingual Ministry
- Marsha Ashley and Frances Mullen — Religious Education and Youth Ministry
- Jacque Clements — Pastoral Council Chair / Communications
Liturgical and Parish Ministries
Ministry at St. Joseph's is parish-wide and bilingual, with leaders in faith formation, liturgy, communications, and bilingual outreach carrying the bulk of parish life between Masses.
- Bilingual Ministry — Luz Covarrubias
- Religious Education and Youth Ministry — Marsha Ashley and Frances Mullen
- Liturgical Ministry — John Haberman
- Pastoral Council / Communications — Jacque Clements
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Religious education for parish children and youth is coordinated by Marsha Ashley and Frances Mullen, supported by the parish office in Waterville. Families interested in enrolling their children or teens can contact the parish at (509) 745-8205.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father DeRouge1890–c.1905
Priest from St. Mary's Mission, Omak, who travelled monthly to Waterville to say Mass; purchased lots and built the first frame church in 1892.
- Father Joseph Lutyen1905–
First resident pastor of St. Joseph Parish.
- Father J. M. Schrammc.1910s–
Oversaw the move to the 1916 brick church at Poplar and Chelan; presided at its dedication in April 1917.
- Rev. Teodulo TaneoAssigned September 1, 2019
Listed as Pastor in the 2020 Diocese of Yakima Official Directory.
- Rev. Robert Himes
Listed as Pastor Emeritus of St. Henry Parish, Grand Coulee, which is administered from St. Joseph in Waterville.