About St. Jude the Apostle · Council, Idaho
St. Jude the Apostle is a Catholic mission church in Council, Idaho, serving the Catholic faithful of Adams County in the rural high country of western Idaho. It is a designated station territory of St. Agnes Parish in Weiser and falls under the Diocese of Boise. The small mountain community of Council gathers for Mass on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month and for a midday Friday Mass, with the church's pastor residing in nearby Weiser and other assisting clergy helping to cover the mission.
- Established
- 1965
- Patron
- St. Jude the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Gabriel Morales (pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Weiser, which serves St. Jude as a mission)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Boise (Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise City)
Why belong here
St. Jude the Apostle is the spiritual home for Catholics across the sparsely populated Adams County high country, providing weekly Sunday Mass (1st & 3rd Sundays at 3:30 p.m.) and a Friday noon Mass with Eucharistic Adoration in a small, volunteer-built sanctuary. As a mission of St. Agnes Parish in Weiser, it is shepherded by an experienced pastor and assisted by a hermit priest, offering a faithful, intimate Catholic presence in the rural mountain community of Council.
Mass times at St. Jude the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before or after Mass (call St. Agnes office in advance for changes: 208-549-0088)
Adoration times
- Friday: after the 12:00 PM Mass (approximately 12:30–1:30 PM)
Parish History
Catholic life in Council began as a mission of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in McCall from 1960 to 1980. The present church building was constructed in 1965 under the direction of Fr. John Koelsch, with the first Mass celebrated on October 31, 1965 and the formal dedication by Bishop Sylvester Treinen on June 19, 1966. In 1980, Fr. Henry J. Steinhoff became the first (and to date only) resident pastor in Council; he was succeeded in 1989 when McCall again took pastoral responsibility. Since 1998, St. Jude's has been a mission of St. Agnes Parish in Weiser, currently served by Fr. Gabriel Morales and assisting ministers including Fr. Thomas Keller. The history above was compiled by Deacon Francis Wander.
- 1960 — Council begins as a mission of Our Lady of the Lake, McCall
- 1965 — Church building constructed under Fr. John Koelsch; first Mass Oct. 31, 1965
- June 19, 1966 — Bishop Sylvester Treinen dedicates the church and confirms six parishioners
- August 1980 — Fr. Henry J. Steinhoff becomes Council's first resident pastor
- 1989 — Fr. Steinhoff moves; McCall again covers the mission
- 1998 — St. Jude's transferred back to Weiser as a mission of St. Agnes Parish
The Church Building
St. Jude the Apostle sits on five acres of donated land north of Council. The structure measures 40 by 40 feet, with the main floor seating about 25 worshippers and a full-sized parish hall in the basement. It was built largely by local workers and volunteer labor, and remains a humble but enduring symbol of the rural Catholic community in Adams County.
- Built 1965; dedicated June 19, 1966
- 40 x 40 ft footprint, ~25-seat main floor
- Full parish hall in basement
- Five-acre site on donated land north of town
Clergy & Leadership
St. Jude the Apostle is pastored through St. Agnes Parish in Weiser. The current pastor of St. Agnes, Fr. Gabriel Morales, has pastoral care of the mission, with assisting ministers — including Fr. Thomas Keller, a hermit priest who resides at Mesa — helping to cover Mass and other needs. Parish historian Deacon Francis Wander compiled the community's written history.
- Fr. Gabriel Morales — Pastor, St. Agnes Parish, Weiser (pastoral care of St. Jude mission)
- Fr. Thomas Keller — Hermit priest at Mesa; assisting minister
- Deacon Francis Wander — Parish historian
Visiting St. Jude the Apostle
St. Jude the Apostle is located at 2054 Hwy. 95 North in Council, Idaho (ZIP 83612), and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise. Schedule changes and pastoral needs are coordinated through the St. Agnes Parish office in Weiser at (208) 549-0088.
- Address: 2054 Hwy. 95 North, Council, ID 83612
- Diocese: Boise City
- Parish office: (208) 549-0088 (St. Agnes, Weiser)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Koelschpastorate through 1965
Pastor of Our Lady of the Lake, McCall, who oversaw construction of the St. Jude church building in Council; celebrated the first Mass there on Oct. 31, 1965.
- Fr. Henry J. Steinhoff1980–1989
Assigned pastor in Council in August 1980 — the first and only time Council served as its own parish rather than a mission of another church.