About St. Mary · Moscow, Idaho
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Boise located at 618 E. First Street in Moscow, Idaho, serving about 600 parishioners in the northern part of the state. The community gathers around its 1930 Tudor/English Gothic church and an attached Family Center, with a school (PreK–8) that traces its origins to the Ursuline Sisters who arrived in 1908. The parish also ministers to a station church in nearby Genesee, sharing its priests across both communities. Current pastoral leadership is provided by Father Benjamin Onyemachi, SMMM, and Father Anthony Ujagbo — both Nigerian members of the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy Congregation who were assigned by Bishop Peter F. Christensen in 2023 to address the diocese's shortage of vocations. The parish describes itself as a faith community bonded by the love of God, encountering Christ in the sacraments and witnessing to His mercy through kindness, compassion and forgiveness, after the example of Mary, Mother of God.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- Mary, Mother of God
- Rector
- Father Benjamin Onyemachi, SMMM
- Diocese
- Diocese of Boise
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers the full sacramental and devotional life of a Catholic parish — daily and weekend Mass in English, regular confession, weekday adoration including a 24-hour First Friday vigil, and a daily Rosary — alongside a strong catechetical tradition through St. Mary's Catholic School (PreK–8, a 2005 Blue Ribbon school) and parish faith formation for all ages. Members put faith into action through the Knights of Columbus (Council 1397), the St. Francis of Assisi Conference of St. Vincent de Paul (serving Latah County neighbors in crisis), the Moscow Food Bank, a Prayer Shawl Ministry, Respect Life Committee, Catholic Women's League, St. Zelie Martin Moms' Group, a bus ministry that transports parishioners to weekend Mass, and an active youth ministry. It is a welcoming, ~600-family community where newcomers can easily get involved via the Parish Council (which meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 pm) or any of the parish's ministries.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday following the 8:00 a.m. Mass (St. Mary's, Moscow)
- Saturday 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (St. Mary's, Moscow)
- Wednesday 5:30 p.m. (St. Mary's, Genesee)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 a.m. (St. Mary's, Moscow)
- Thursday 7:00 a.m. (St. Mary's, Moscow)
- 1st Friday (Sept–June) 9:00 a.m. through Saturday 8:00 a.m. (24-hour vigil)
- 1st Friday (Summer) 8:00 a.m. through Saturday 8:00 a.m. (24-hour vigil)
- Wednesday 5:30 p.m. (St. Mary's, Genesee)
Our Story: A Parish Rooted in 1880s Moscow
St. Mary's traces its roots to the 1870s, when Father Alexander Diomedi, pastor of Lewiston, first celebrated Mass in Moscow at parishioners' homes. The parish officially organized and began holding Mass in a downtown building (which also served as a skating rink and dance hall) on July 25, 1882. That first church burned two years later, but the community built a dedicated church — Holy Trinity — in 1887, dedicating it in 1889 on the site now occupied by the County Library Annex at Jefferson and Adams. In 1893 the building was moved to First and Howard, where the parish's parking lot still sits, and the parish received its first resident priest, Rev. J.J. Burri, and three historic church bells. Father Oswald Mogg's 1926 campaign to build a larger church culminated in the dedication of the present Tudor/English Gothic church on December 14, 1930 — with 72 founding members. An anonymous donor's $1,000 gift in 1927 prompted the name change from Holy Trinity to St. Mary's. The old church was remodeled in 1968 and torn down in 1973; the Family Center was dedicated on its site in 1979. Today, the parish continues to grow as a diverse Catholic community sharing Christ's light in the northern Idaho panhandle.
- First Masses celebrated in Moscow in the 1870s by Fr. Alexander Diomedi
- Parish organized; first Mass held July 25, 1882
- Holy Trinity church built 1887, dedicated 1889
- 1893: First resident priest Rev. J.J. Burri; three bells installed
- 1908: Ursuline Sisters arrive and open Ursuline Academy
- 1927: Parish renamed St. Mary's after a $1,000 anonymous donation
- December 14, 1930: Current Tudor/English Gothic church dedicated (72 founding members)
- 1968: Old church remodeled for meetings and gym
- 1973: Old church torn down
- 1979: Family Center dedicated along with current parking lot
Meet Our Clergy & Staff
Bishop Peter F. Christensen of the Diocese of Boise appointed a new pastoral team effective July 1, 2023, drawing on the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy (SMMM) Congregation in Nigeria to address a shortage of diocesan vocations. Father Benjamin Onyemachi, SMMM, serves as pastor; Father Anthony Ujagbo serves as parochial vicar; and Father Celestine Agwu serves as guest priest. Parish staff coordinate the office, music, religious education, youth ministry, school, and facilities.
- Father Benjamin Onyemachi, SMMM — Pastor (ordained July 24, 2010, Mater Dei Cathedral, Nigeria)
- Father Anthony Ujagbo — Parochial Vicar (Archdiocese of Owerri, Nigeria)
- Father Celestine Agwu — Guest Priest
- Lauren Goracke — Office Manager
- Cynthia Muskat — Music Ministry Coordinator
- Erin Clemm — Religious Education Coordinator
- Jenny Morrison — Youth Ministry Coordinator
- Greg Ahman — St. Mary's Catholic School Principal
- Audrey Pfeifer — Rectory Housekeeping
- Jeff Finken — Custodian
St. Mary's Catholic School
St. Mary's Catholic School offers a PreK-through-8th-grade Catholic education on the parish campus. The school's roots go back to 1908, when the Ursuline Sisters arrived in Moscow and founded Ursuline Academy. Today, with a low student-to-teacher ratio, the school provides individualized instruction in a Christ-centered environment, supporting students academically and spiritually. St. Mary's was awarded the federal Blue Ribbon School Award in 2005 (one of only 24 Idaho schools to have received it) and holds the highest 6-year accreditation from the Western Catholic Education Accrediting Association. Enrollment has hovered around 111 students in recent years.
- PreK through Grade 8, Christ-centered curriculum
- Founded 1908 by the Ursuline Sisters as Ursuline Academy
- Principal: Greg Ahman
- 2005 U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School
- Accredited by the Western Catholic Education Accrediting Association (highest 6-year term, most recently 2022)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Religious Education is offered for all ages through Erin Clemm, the parish's Religious Education Coordinator, with online enrollment available for PK through 5th grade and ongoing Confirmation preparation (e.g., Confirmation 2025/26). Youth Ministry, led by Jenny Morrison, runs a year-round program for middle and high school students including the Steubenville NW summer conference and local service events. Both programs maintain a joint Facebook page (facebook.com/stmarysfff) and Instagram (@stmarysfff).
- Religious Education (PK–5th Grade and beyond) — coordinator Erin Clemm
- Youth Ministry — coordinator Jenny Morrison
- Confirmation preparation
- Steubenville NW youth conference (summer)
- Youth Car Wash fundraiser
- Vacation Bible School (summer)
Parish Ministries & Outreach
St. Mary's channels its faith into service through a rich network of parish ministries. Members can join the Knights of Columbus (Council 1397, which meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.), volunteer with the St. Francis of Assisi Conference of St. Vincent de Paul (whose hotline at 208-883-3284 assists Latah County neighbors in crisis), stock and run the Moscow Food Bank, knit prayer shawls, advocate for life through the Respect Life Committee, or drive parishioners to weekend Mass through the Bus Ministry. Women's groups include the Catholic Women's League and the St. Zelie Martin Moms' Group. Music ministry includes cantors, choirs, and instrumentalists.
- Knights of Columbus — Council 1397 (Grand Knight: Greg Blanchard; Faithful Navigator: Brian Johnson)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — St. Francis of Assisi Conference (hotline 208-883-3284)
- Moscow Food Bank (110 N Polk St., Tue–Fri 2–4 p.m.)
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Catholic Women's League
- St. Zelie Martin Moms' Group
- Respect Life Committee
- Bus Ministry (transportation for parishioners to weekend Mass)
- Music Ministry (cantors, choirs, and instruments)
Our Genesee Mission Church
St. Mary's Parish in Moscow also ministers to a station church in Genesee, Idaho — originally the Church of the Immaculate Conception, founded by local Catholics in 1889 on lots deeded by a local judge. The Genesee church was dedicated by Bishop A.J. Glorieux on July 13, 1890. A devastating fire on September 30, 1961 (during the pastorate of Fr. B.C. McCarthy) destroyed the 71-year-old church but spared the tabernacle, vestments, sacred vessels, and main altar statues. The current Genesee church and rectory were completed in 1965 and dedicated on June 20, 1965 by Bishop Sylvester Treinen. Due to a shortage of priests, the Genesee church was downgraded to station status under St. Mary's Moscow in 1996; today it shares Moscow's priests, with Mass on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 9:45 a.m.
- Church of the Immaculate Conception, Genesee — built 1889, dedicated by Bishop A.J. Glorieux on July 13, 1890
- Fire destroyed original church on September 30, 1961
- New church and rectory dedicated June 20, 1965 by Bishop Sylvester Treinen
- Made a station church of St. Mary's Moscow in 1996
- Knights of Columbus Memorial to the Unborn installed on parish grounds in 1999
- Current schedule: Wednesday Mass 6:30 p.m.; Sunday Mass 9:45 a.m.; Confession Wed. 5:30 p.m.; Adoration Wed. 5:30 p.m.
Parish Life & Getting Involved
Newcomers are warmly welcomed at St. Mary's: registration forms are available online and at the back of the church. The Moscow Parish Council, made up of elected and appointed parishioners who manage finances, building maintenance, events, and outreach, meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Parish Center; all community members are invited to attend. Online Giving is available for the Offertory Collection, and the parish also accepts Planned Estate or Trust gifts by naming St. Mary's Catholic Church (618 E. First St., Moscow, ID 83843) in one's will. A prayer team welcomes prayer requests submitted through the office.
- Parish Registration Form available online and at the back of the church
- Parish Council meetings — 2nd Monday of each month, 6:30 p.m., Parish Center
- Online Giving available
- Planned Estate or Trust gifts accepted
- Prayer team available for prayer requests
Contact & Visit
The parish office is open at 618 E. First St., Moscow, ID 83843 (mailing address: PO Box 9106, Moscow, ID 83843). The office phone is 208-882-4813 and the general email is [email protected]. The Genesee station office email is [email protected]. The Moscow Food Bank can be reached at [email protected]. The parish asks visitors to always check the bulletin and online calendar for any changes to the regular schedule.
- Address: 618 E. First St., Moscow, ID 83843
- Mailing: PO Box 9106, Moscow, ID 83843
- Phone: 208-882-4813
- Office email: [email protected]
- Genesee email: [email protected]
- Food Bank email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Alexander Diomedi1870s
Lewiston pastor who celebrated the first Masses in Moscow at parishioners' homes.
- Rev. J.J. Burri1893
First resident priest of the parish; church bells installed the same year.
- Father Oswald Mogg1926
Campaigned to build the current church; during his tenure the parish was renamed St. Mary's in 1927.
- Rev. Joseph (Joe) McDonald
Long-serving pastor who also served as superintendent of the school; retired and replaced by Fr. Onyemachi effective July 1, 2023.