About St. Mary Catholic Church · Wasco, Oregon
St. Mary Catholic Church is a small rural parish serving the town of Wasco in Sherman County, Oregon, in the wheat-growing country along the Columbia River. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker and is currently administered as a mission church of St. Alphonsus in Dufur. The parish celebrates Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. at 807 Barnett Street and is cared for by Reverend Roy Isac Elavungal, who also serves other Catholic communities in the Sherman County cluster. As one of the oldest Catholic communities in the county — with roots going back to a small church built in 1904 — St. Mary's continues to bring the Sunday Eucharist and the sacraments to a tight-knit rural congregation.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Roy Isac Elavungal
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baker
Why belong here
St. Mary's is a faithful Sunday Mass community in a small rural Oregon town, where parishioners genuinely know one another and the priest. It is a mission of St. Alphonsus in Dufur, so worshippers participate in the wider life of the Sherman County Catholic cluster while gathering locally for 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation beforehand. Visitors and new parishioners are warmly welcomed — the parish invites anyone interested to simply come celebrate Mass with them.
Mass times at St. Mary Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
About St. Mary Catholic Church, Wasco
St. Mary Catholic Church is a small rural parish in the town of Wasco, Sherman County, Oregon. Located at 807 Barnett Street, the parish serves the local farming community along the lower Columbia River plateau. It is part of the Diocese of Baker and is currently administered as a mission of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Dufur. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:00 a.m., with confessions heard beforehand. The parish priest is Reverend Roy Isac Elavungal.
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
- Confessions: Sundays 7:30–8:00 a.m.
- Parish Priest: Rev. Roy Isac Elavungal
- Diocese: Baker (Roman-Latin Rite)
History of the Parish
Catholic life in the Wasco area goes back to the era of missionary circuit riders out of St. Peter's in The Dalles. In 1904 the first Catholic church in Sherman County was built in Wasco for $3,000, founded largely by the Fox, Macnab and Van Patten families. By the late 1930s the original wooden church had been abandoned, and Mass was being offered in an old print shop on Fulton Street. The Catholic community grew steadily, and in 1954 Wasco was formally established as a parish church, with Father Martin Quigley named its first pastor. The current church building was completed in the early 1950s with major financial assistance from the Catholic Extension Society, a parish hall followed in the early 1960s, and the parish has remained a steady Sunday-Mass presence ever since.
- 1904: First Catholic church in Sherman County built in Wasco ($3,000)
- Late 1930s: Original church abandoned; Mass moved to an old print shop on Fulton Street
- 1954: Wasco raised to parish status; Father Martin Quigley named first pastor
- Early 1950s: Current church built with help of the Catholic Extension Society
- Early 1960s: Parish hall completed with Extension Society assistance
Sherman County Catholic Cluster
St. Mary, Wasco has historically been the center of a small Sherman County Catholic cluster that included missions in Grass Valley (St. John the Baptist) and Antelope (also named St. Mary). Today the parish operates as a mission of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Dufur, sharing pastoral care across several small communities along the Columbia River gorge plateau. The original founding families of the cluster — Fox, Macnab, Van Patten, Hill, O'Meara, McIntyre, Welk, Buether, von Borstel and others — gave the local church its distinct rural, multi-generational character.
- St. Alphonsus, Dufur — current parent parish
- St. John the Baptist, Grass Valley — historic mission
- Antelope (St. Mary) — historic mission, disbanded in the 1960s
Clergy
The parish is currently served by Reverend Roy Isac Elavungal, who also ministers to other Catholic communities in the Sherman County area. Father Elavungal is listed as the Parish Priest in the parish's directory listing and as a registered officer of Saint Mary Catholic Church of Wasco, Inc.
- Current Parish Priest: Rev. Roy Isac Elavungal
Pastor History
Father Martin Quigley was the first pastor formally assigned to the Sherman County Catholic churches when Wasco became a parish in 1954. Over the following decades, Fathers Beard, Began, Condon, Conway, Keating, O'Connor and Vogl each served in residence. Visiting priests who served the cluster in earlier decades included Fathers Albrecht, Anselm, Benedict, Hazen, Kelbel, Stone and Stryzyck. The parish today is cared for as a mission of St. Alphonsus, Dufur.
- Father Martin Quigley — first pastor (1954)
- In-residence pastors: Fathers Beard, Began, Condon, Conway, Keating, O'Connor, Vogl
- Visiting priests: Fathers Albrecht, Anselm, Benedict, Hazen, Kelbel, Stone, Stryzyck
- Current priest: Rev. Roy Isac Elavungal (mission status under St. Alphonsus, Dufur)
Visiting St. Mary
The parish is at 807 Barnett Street, in the small farming town of Wasco, Oregon. From the Portland metro area, the most direct route is Interstate 84 East to Biggs Junction, then south on Highway 97 for about nine miles into Wasco. The parish welcomes visitors to celebrate Mass with the community.
- Address: 807 Barnett Street, Wasco, OR 97065
- Phone: (541) 442-8560
- Email: [email protected]
- From Portland: I-84 East to Biggs Junction, then South on Hwy 97 for 9 miles
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Martin Quigley1954
Named first pastor of the Sherman County Catholic churches when Wasco became a parish.
- Father Beard
Served in residence among the Sherman County cluster.
- Father Began
Served in residence among the Sherman County cluster.
- Father Condon
Served in residence among the Sherman County cluster.
- Father Conway
Served in residence among the Sherman County cluster.
- Father Keating
Served in residence among the Sherman County cluster.
- Father O'Connor
Served in residence among the Sherman County cluster.
- Father Vogl
Served in residence among the Sherman County cluster.