About St. Mary · Pendleton, Oregon
St. Mary Catholic Church is a Roman Latin-rite parish of the Diocese of Baker, serving the Catholics of Pendleton in northeastern Oregon. Located at 800 SE Court Avenue, the parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish, with a Saturday Vigil and Sunday schedule that draws roughly 150–170 worshipers at its Sunday service. Under its current pastor, Father Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil, who arrived in summer 2025 from St. Francis of Assisi in Bend, St. Mary's describes itself as a welcoming community on a journey of faith witnessing to Christ's presence in eastern Oregon.
- Established
- circa 1909
- Patron
- St. Mary (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baker (Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker, Oregon)
Why belong here
St. Mary's is a bilingual Catholic community at the heart of Pendleton that combines traditional liturgy with a personal welcome. Weekend Masses in English and Spanish draw 60–170 worshipers, and the parish offers Eucharistic Adoration (including Perpetual Adoration Monday 6 PM through Thursday 8 AM), weekday morning Masses, and the sacrament of Confession on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Father Mudakodiyil has made it his stated priority that everyone is 'welcomed, loved and challenged to become better disciples of Christ,' inviting parishioners into liturgical ministries, Bible studies, youth groups, and CCD classes — and the parish welcomes new volunteers from across the greater Pendleton community.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM
- Wednesday 5:15 PM
- and by appointment
Adoration times
- Sunday 8:30–9:30 AM
- Perpetual Adoration: Monday 6:00 PM through Thursday 8:00 AM
- Friday 9:00 AM–7:00 PM
- Thursday 9:00 AM–7:00 PM
Parish History
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pendleton was built in 1909, at a moment when the Umatilla County seat was experiencing a wave of new construction that also brought the O.R. & N. Railroad depot, a new Pendleton Woolen Mills structure, a new Christian Church, and a federal building. A historical photograph from about 1912 captures the church in its earliest years. Pastoral care of the Catholic community in the Pendleton area had been exercised from the Church of the Good Shepherd before St. Mary's came into its own; Rev. Aloysius Faissler, for instance, was appointed there on Christmas Day, 1905, and remained until 1909.
Diocese of Baker
St. Mary's is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker, whose diocesan offices are in Redmond, Oregon. The diocese covers the wide rural expanse of eastern and central Oregon and is currently led by Bishop Thomas Connolly, who accepted Father Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil into the diocese in 2007. The diocese lists St. Mary's on its parish finder and identifies the parish's clergy on its official clergy roster.
- Diocese of Baker headquarters: 641 SW Umatilla Ave, Redmond, OR 97756
- Parish finder entry: Pendleton – St. Mary Church
- Related mission in Pendleton: St. Andrew's Mission (Umatilla Indian Reservation)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Father Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil, a Salesian-trained priest from Kerala, India, who was ordained in 2002 and came to the Diocese of Baker in 2007. He served at Holy Redeemer in La Pine (overseeing missions in Sunriver, Gilchrist and Christmas Valley), then Blessed Sacrament in Ontario, and most recently spent nine years at St. Francis of Assisi in Bend before being transferred to Pendleton on July 5, 2025. He is assisted by two deacons, and during his absences Father Steve Garza of Our Lady of Angels in Hermiston celebrates Masses at St. Mary's.
- Rev. Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil — Pastor (appointed July 5, 2025)
- Deacon Omar Torres
- Deacon Daniel Martinez
- Father Steve Garza (Our Lady of Angels, Hermiston) — supply priest in pastor's absence
- Anne Johnson — Parish Secretary
- Parish office phone: (541) 276-3615
Mass & Sacraments Schedule
St. Mary's celebrates a full weekly Mass schedule in both English and Spanish, with a Saturday Vigil, a Sunday morning English Mass, a Sunday midday Spanish Mass, and weekday morning and evening Masses. The sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturday afternoons before the Vigil and again on Wednesday evenings, with appointments available on request. Holy Day schedules are announced as they approach.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM (English), 6:30 PM (Spanish)
- Sunday: 10:00 AM (English), 12:00 PM (Spanish)
- Monday: 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:00 AM
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM
- Holy Days: TBA
- Confessions: Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM; Wednesday 5:15 PM; and by appointment
Faith Formation & Ministries
Father Mudakodiyil has emphasized that the parish needs many hands to support its ministries, both liturgical and outreach-oriented. The parish publishes schedules for Bible studies, the youth group, and CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) classes on its website and Facebook page, and parishioners are encouraged to take part in liturgical ministries as well as parish outreach.
- Liturgical ministries (ushers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers)
- Youth group
- CCD classes (religious education for children)
- Adult Bible studies
- Parish volunteer outreach to the greater Pendleton community
Bilingual Catholic Life in Pendleton
St. Mary's serves a diverse Catholic community in Pendleton and the surrounding Umatilla County. Regular Spanish-language Masses on Saturday evenings and Sunday midday reflect the parish's commitment to welcoming Spanish-speaking Catholics alongside its English-speaking members, and the parish reaches out to the wider Pendleton area rather than presenting itself as an isolated community.
- Saturday 6:30 PM Spanish Vigil Mass
- Sunday 12:00 PM Spanish Mass
- Welcoming outreach to Hispanic Catholics in Umatilla County
Sacraments
Standard Catholic sacraments are celebrated at St. Mary's. Parents seeking baptism, couples preparing for marriage, and Catholics preparing for First Communion, Confirmation, or Anointing of the Sick are asked to contact the parish office. Confession is heard regularly before weekend Masses and by appointment.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Marriage — preparation through the parish
- First Communion & Confirmation — preparation via CCD
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
- Confession — Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM, Wednesday 5:15 PM, or by appointment
Visiting & Contact
St. Mary's is centrally located in Pendleton at 800 SE Court Avenue, with parking on site. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and can be reached by phone at (541) 276-3615 or by email at [email protected]. Visitors can find the latest information on the parish website and Facebook page.
- Address: 800 SE Court Ave, Pendleton, OR 97801
- Phone: (541) 276-3615
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmaryspendleton.com
- Parish office hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil2025–
Transferred from St. Francis of Assisi, Bend; arrived July 5, 2025; ordained 2002 in Kerala, India.
- Father Bailey Clemens2005–
Ordained May 23, 1998 by Bishop John Myers; assigned to St. Mary's in Pendleton by Bishop Vasa; fourth Marian parish of his ministry.