About St. Katharine Drexel · Cascade, Idaho
St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church is a mission church located in Cascade, Idaho, serving the Catholic faithful in Valley County along with two sister churches under one parish family. It is one of three worship sites of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Parish, alongside Our Lady of the Lake in McCall and St. Jerome in Riggins. The parish covers more than 9,000 square miles of central Idaho — over 10% of the state — stretching from the Boise County line to the Salmon River. St. Katharine Drexel is named for St. Katharine Drexel (1858–1955), the Philadelphia heiress-turned-religious sister who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000; she is the patron saint of racial justice and philanthropists.
- Patron
- St. Katharine Drexel (Catherine Mary Drexel, SBS, 1858–1955), American religious sister and educator, founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000; patron of racial justice and philanthropists
- Rector
- Fr. Bradley Neely
- Diocese
- Diocese of Boise
Why belong here
St. Katharine Drexel offers an intimate, small-mission Sunday experience in the heart of Cascade, where the parish family gathers for choir practice at 10:15 AM, prays the Holy Rosary together at 10:30 AM, and celebrates Mass at 11:00 AM — followed by coffee and refreshments on the first Sunday of each month. As part of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Parish, Cascade parishioners are linked to a wider Catholic community that also worships at Our Lady of the Lake in McCall and St. Jerome in Riggins, sharing a pastor, deacons, religious education, OCIA, and sacramental preparation. The Cascade community actively supports local outreach such as the Cascade Food Pantry (1470 S. Main St.), where parish volunteers serve on scheduled dates. It's a welcoming place to worship, serve neighbors, and grow in faith in the mountain-lakes region of Idaho.
Mass times at St. Katharine Drexel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 3rd Sunday of each month, immediately following the 11:00 AM Mass
- Available any Sunday by appointment
- Available at all three parish locations by appointment
Mass & Weekly Schedule at St. Katharine Drexel
St. Katharine Drexel gathers every Sunday for a small-mission schedule rooted in prayer and music. Choir practice is open to all at 10:15 AM, followed by communal recitation of the Holy Rosary at 10:30 AM, and Holy Mass at 11:00 AM. On the first Sunday of each month, coffee and refreshments follow Mass for fellowship; on the third Sunday of each month, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered immediately after Mass.
- Choir Practice — Sundays, 10:15 AM
- Holy Rosary — Sundays, 10:30 AM
- Mass — Sundays, 11:00 AM
- Coffee & refreshments — 1st Sundays after Mass
- Reconciliation — 3rd Sundays after Mass
Parish Identity: Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Parish
St. Katharine Drexel belongs to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Parish, headquartered in McCall. The parish family includes three worship sites: Our Lady of the Lake in McCall (the main church), St. Jerome in Riggins (Saturday Mass at 10:00 AM), and St. Katharine Drexel in Cascade. Together they serve a geographic parish of more than 9,000 square miles — extending from the Boise County line south to the Salmon River north, and from Adams County west to the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness east — more than 10% of the state of Idaho.
- Our Lady of the Lake — McCall (Sunday 9:00 AM; Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM)
- St. Jerome — Riggins (Saturday 10:00 AM)
- St. Katharine Drexel — Cascade (Sunday 11:00 AM)
- Weekday Masses and Adoration at Our Lady of the Lake in McCall
Parish History
The parish was first established in 1916 as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a mission of St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Boise. The original Catholic church building in McCall — built in those early years — is now the Alpine Theater on Roosevelt Avenue on the east side of Payette Lake. In 1963, Father John Koelsch became the first resident pastor; under his leadership the present church in McCall was built and dedicated in 1964 as Our Lady of the Lake, and was later remodeled to its current configuration in 1993. The Cascade and Riggins missions extend the parish's presence into the surrounding communities of Valley County and beyond. The parish feast day is celebrated on August 15, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- 1916 — Parish established as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a mission of St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Boise
- 1963 — Fr. John Koelsch becomes the first resident pastor
- 1964 — Present church in McCall dedicated as Our Lady of the Lake
- 1993 — McCall church remodeled to its current configuration
- Parish Feast Day — August 15 (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Clergy, Staff, and Contact
Our Lady of the Lake Parish is led by Pastor Fr. Bradley Neely and served by two deacons. Parish office staff handle religious education, communications, and finance for all three worship sites.
- Pastor: Fr. Bradley Neely — [email protected], 208-634-5474
- Deacon Floyd Loomis — [email protected], 208-861-4115
- Deacon Derek Williamson — [email protected], 208-634-5474
- Parish Office: Kristin Koskella — [email protected], 208-634-5474
- Religious Education: [email protected], 208-634-5474
- Bookkeeper: Joanne Wood — [email protected], 208-634-5474
- Website Admin: Heather Berry — [email protected]
Ministries and Outreach
Parishioners are invited to serve through liturgical and outreach ministries. The Music Ministry in Cascade rehearses each Sunday morning and welcomes new voices, while the parish-wide Prayer Chain responds to prayer requests. Outreach extends into the local Cascade community through the Cascade Food Pantry.
- Music Ministry (Cascade) — rehearsal Sundays at 10:15 AM
- Usher, Lector, and Eucharistic Minister ministry (coordinated through the Deacons)
- Prayer Chain — Cathleen Curtiss, 208-315-7027
- Cascade Food Pantry — 1470 S. Main St., Cascade (1st & 3rd Thursdays, 4:00–6:00 PM)
- Safe Environment Training — required for all clergy, staff, and volunteers
Cascade Food Pantry
Parish volunteers serve periodically at the Cascade Food Pantry (1470 S. Main St., Cascade, ID), which is open the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Volunteers are asked to arrive at 2:30 PM for setup and instruction on scheduled parish dates.
- Location: 1470 S. Main St., Cascade, ID
- Open: 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 4:00–6:00 PM
- Contact: Linda Klind, 208-634-6989 or 208-634-3037
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
The parish offers preparation for all seven sacraments at Our Lady of the Lake in McCall, with celebration possible at all three worship sites. OCIA welcomes adults and children age 7 and older who wish to enter the Catholic faith, and families can arrange Baptism, First Communion, First Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Marriage preparation through the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation on request; contact [email protected]
- First Communion & First Reconciliation — classes begin mid-January
- Confirmation — for freshmen through seniors; classes begin early January
- Marriage — preparation begins at least 4 months before the wedding date
- Anointing of the Sick — scheduled through the parish office; administered by a priest
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — sign up via [email protected]
- Funerals — scheduled through the parish office
Visit, Location & Contact
St. Katharine Drexel is at 101 Vista Point Blvd., Cascade, ID 83611, on the west side of Highway 55, north of town. The mailing address is P.O. Box 821, McCall, ID 83638. Questions, scheduling, and pastoral needs are handled through the parish office at [email protected] or 208-634-5474.
- Physical: 101 Vista Point Blvd., Cascade, ID 83611 (north of Cascade, west side of Hwy 55 at Vista Point Blvd.)
- Mailing: P.O. Box 821, McCall, ID 83638
- Phone: 208-634-5474
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.ollidaho.org/st-katherine-drexel-cascade
About the Patron: St. Katharine Drexel
Born Catherine Mary Drexel in Philadelphia in 1858, St. Katharine Drexel devoted her fortune and her life to the education of Native American and African American communities. She founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891, financed more than 60 missions and schools (including Xavier University of Louisiana, the only historically Black and Catholic university in the United States), and was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000 — the first U.S.-born citizen to be declared a saint. She is the patron of racial justice and philanthropists, and her memorial is observed on March 3.
- Born November 26, 1858, Philadelphia; died March 3, 1955
- Founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891
- Beatified November 20, 1988; Canonized October 1, 2000
- Patron of racial justice and philanthropists
- Feast Day — March 3