About St. Mary of the Valley · Monroe, Washington
St. Mary of the Valley is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Monroe, Washington, in the Archdiocese of Seattle's Snohomish Deanery. Founded as a mission in 1902 and established as its own parish in 1913 with Father D.P. Kelly as its first pastor, it grew from 20 farm families serving the Skykomish River valley into a community of roughly 668–860 households. The parish is notable for being the first in Snohomish County to celebrate Mass regularly in Spanish (in the early 1990s), and today roughly half of its registered families are Hispanic. Since July 2024 it has been part of Parish Family #8 with St. Michael in Snohomish and Holy Cross in Lake Stevens under the Archdiocese's Partners in the Gospel initiative.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title Our Lady of the Valley / Santa Maria del Valle)
- Rector
- Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr. — Priest Administrator of Parish Family #8 (as of the Partners in the Gospel restructuring effective July 1, 2024). Rev. Phillip A. Bloom continues to serve the family as Parochial Vicar; he was pastor of St. Mary of the Valley from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2024.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (Snohomish Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Valley is a bilingual, multicultural Catholic family of roughly 668 households that has served the Skykomish River valley since 1902. It offers the warmth of a smaller parish with the rhythms of a full liturgical life — daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, a Spanish Sunday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration (including an overnight First Friday watch), regular Confession, and devotionals such as Friday Rosary. It runs faith formation for children and adults (O.C.I.A.), a United Youth Group, Hispanic ministry, and outreach through St. Vincent de Paul, while keeping deep roots in Monroe's farming community and ministering even to the Monroe Correctional Complex.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Valley
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday: 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM (after the 9 AM Mass)
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM (and also listed 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM on the Archdiocese page)
- First Friday of the month: 7:00 PM – 8:45 PM
- Or by appointment — call (360) 794-8945
Adoration times
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (begins after the 9 AM Mass)
- First Friday of the month: 10:00 PM – 6:00 AM (overnight)
- Saturday: 6:30 PM – 7:30 AM (overnight, per the parish home page)
History & Heritage
St. Mary of the Valley traces its roots to 1902, when it began as a mission of St. Michael Parish in Snohomish serving about 20 Catholic farm families in the Skykomish River valley. In 1913 the mission was elevated to parish status under Father D.P. Kelly, and the parish's first baptism and First Communion were celebrated that year. Over the past century St. Mary has been served by 22 resident pastors and housed in several buildings — the old Madison Street church held its final Mass in April 1978, and the present West Columbia Street church was completed and dedicated in 1979.
- 1902 — Mission founded out of St. Michael, Snohomish (20 families)
- 1913 — Established as a parish; Father D.P. Kelly, first pastor
- 1978 — Final Mass at old Madison Street church
- 1979 — Current church on West Columbia Street dedicated
- 2013 — Centennial Mass with Archbishop Sartain; 100 white doves released
- 2013 — Centennial sculpture 'Our Lady of the Valley' unveiled at main entrance
Centennial Sculpture: Our Lady of the Valley
Commissioned for the 2013 centennial and installed at the main entrance of the church, the bronze Madonna and Child by Marysville sculptor Mark Walker was inspired by 16th-century paintings. Its pedestal depicts mountains, trees, and the Snohomish River valley; the back of Mary's halo appears as a rising sun over the mountains and her elbow forms a river cascading to the valley floor. The piece also incorporates fragments of the parish's 1913 brass bell — stolen in 2011 and broken up by metal thieves — and includes a holy water font.
- Artist: Mark Walker of Marysville
- Inspired by 16th-century Madonna paintings
- Includes fragments of the stolen 1913 Stuckstede bell
- Blessed by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain on August 25, 2013
Clergy & Parish Staff
Since July 1, 2024, St. Mary of the Valley is led as part of Parish Family #8 by Priest Administrator Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr., with Rev. Phillip A. Bloom serving as Parochial Vicar. Father Bloom was pastor of St. Mary of the Valley from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2024, previously pastored Holy Family Parish in Seattle for fourteen years, and earlier served as a missionary in Peru. The lay staff handle faith formation, youth ministry, Hispanic ministry, administration, bookkeeping, and facilities.
- Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr. — Priest Administrator, Parish Family #8
- Rev. Phillip A. Bloom — Parochial Vicar; ext. 12; [email protected]
- Brieanna Angel — Pastoral Assistant for Youth & Young Adults; ext. 13
- Caitlin C. Bowers — Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation & Liturgy; ext. 14
- Veronica Y. Mendez — Pastoral Assistant for Administration & Hispanic Ministry; ext. 10
- Jenny J. Gudino — Administrative Assistant; ext. 15
- John Lenac — Facilities Supervisor; ext. 16
- Janice George — Bookkeeper
Faith Formation & O.C.I.A.
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (O.C.I.A.) at St. Mary of the Valley welcomes non-Catholics, baptized Catholics seeking Confirmation and Eucharist, Christians from other denominations, and families with unbaptized children age seven and older. Registrations run through September with the full course held October through April. Caitlin C. Bowers coordinates the program in both English and Spanish.
- Adult O.C.I.A. for inquirers, catechumens, and candidates
- Children's O.C.I.A. for unbaptized children age 7+
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- Contact: Caitlin C. Bowers, ext. 14, [email protected]
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
The United Youth Group gathers teens Wednesday evenings for prayer and formation. The parish also connects young adults through Father Bloom's continued pastoral presence and the family-wide ministries of Parish Family #8.
- United Youth Group — Wednesdays 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
- Director: Brieanna Angel, ext. 13
Hispanic Ministry / Ministerio Hispano
Roughly half of St. Mary's families are Hispanic, and the parish has celebrated Mass in Spanish regularly since the early 1990s — making it the first in Snohomish County to do so. The 8:00 AM Sunday Mass and the First Friday 9:00 PM Mass are celebrated in Spanish, and the Hispanic choir provides music at major parish celebrations such as the centennial. Veronica Y. Mendez coordinates Hispanic ministry, Quinceañeras, marriage preparation, and Spanish-language questions.
- Sunday 8:00 AM Mass in Spanish
- First Friday 9:00 PM Mass in Spanish
- Hispanic Choir at parish celebrations
- Contact: Veronica Y. Mendez, ext. 10
Outreach & Community Life
Beyond the parish walls, St. Mary of the Valley runs a Discipleship Group program for small-group faith sharing, partners with St. Vincent de Paul for local charitable outreach, ministers to inmates of the Monroe Correctional Complex, and operates a daycare and preschool facility blessed at the 2013 centennial. The Knights of Columbus cook the parish picnic and the Hispanic choir leads music at parish gatherings.
- Discipleship Groups — small faith-sharing communities
- St. Vincent de Paul outreach
- Monroe Correctional Complex prison ministry
- Daycare and preschool facility
- Knights of Columbus
- Parish Family Bulletin (shared with St. Michael and Holy Cross)
Parish Family #8 & Partners in the Gospel
Beginning July 1, 2024, the Archdiocese of Seattle's Partners in the Gospel initiative grouped the 136 parishes of the archdiocese into six parish families on the path to becoming canonical parishes. St. Mary of the Valley was placed in Parish Family #8 with St. Michael Parish & Catholic School in Snohomish and Holy Cross in Lake Stevens & Granite Falls. Each family is led by a pastor or pastoral coordinator, often with a parochial vicar assisting.
- Parish Family #8 — St. Mary of the Valley (Monroe), St. Michael (Snohomish), Holy Cross (Lake Stevens)
- Priest Administrator: Rev. R. Roy Baroma, Jr.
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Phillip A. Bloom
- Partners in the Gospel — Archdiocese of Seattle pastoral planning process
Visiting & Contact
The parish office is at 601 West Columbia Street in Monroe (mailing: P.O. Box 279, Monroe, WA 98272). Hours are Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM; the office is closed Friday through Sunday and closes for lunch 12:00 – 1:00 PM. The main phone (360) 794-8945 accepts Voice and TTY calls, and the fax line is (360) 805-0201. The general email is [email protected].
- Address: 601 W Columbia St., Monroe, WA 98272
- Mailing: P.O. Box 279, Monroe, WA 98272
- Phone: (360) 794-8945 (Voice & TTY)
- Fax: (360) 805-0201
- Email: [email protected]
- Office closed Fri–Sun; closed for lunch 12–1 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father D.P. Kelly1913
First resident pastor when the mission was established as a parish.
- Father Joseph Petosa1966–1971
Concelebrated the 2013 centennial Mass.
- Bishop Joseph Tyson (later Bishop of Yakima)1993–1996
Concelebrated the 2013 centennial Mass.
- Rev. Phillip A. Bloom2009–2024
Long-serving pastor; led the parish through its 2013 centennial and the 2024 Partners in the Gospel transition; previously pastor of Holy Family, Seattle, and a missionary in Peru.