About St. Mary · Seaview, Washington
St. Mary Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the Seaview community on the Long Beach Peninsula in Pacific County, Washington. It is one of four parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle's Parish Family 47, led by Pastor Rev. David H. Young and gathered under the Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning initiative. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass in English, weekly confession, and Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and it also cares for the historic St. Mary Mission Chapel at McGowan Station, a 1904 Victorian Gothic church built along the Columbia River at the Lewis and Clark Middle Village site.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish named 'St. Mary')
- Rector
- Rev. David H. Young
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (South Sound Deanery, Pacific County)
Why belong here
St. Mary, Seaview offers the rhythm of a classic small-town Catholic parish: a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, and daily weekday Masses (Tuesday through Friday) all at a single, easy-to-find location on Pacific Way. Parishioners benefit from weekly Saturday confession, First Friday Adoration and reconciliation, an active St. Vincent de Paul conference serving local neighbors in need, a Knights of Columbus council meeting locally, and a deep connection to the region's Catholic heritage through the historic 1904 St. Mary Mission chapel at McGowan Station on the Columbia River.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 p.m.
- First Friday after Mass (Adoration and confession for one hour)
- Other times by appointment — contact the parish office
Adoration times
- First Friday after Mass (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for one hour, with confession available)
About St. Mary Parish, Seaview
St. Mary Parish is the Catholic parish serving Seaview and the surrounding Long Beach Peninsula in Pacific County, Washington. It is part of the Archdiocese of Seattle and sits in the South Sound Deanery. Although small, the parish maintains a full weekly schedule of daily Masses, weekend Masses, confession, and First Friday Adoration, and it also serves as the guardian of one of the region's most historic Catholic mission sites.
- Parish location: 4700 Pacific Way, Seaview, WA 98644
- Mailing address: PO Box 274, Seaview, WA 98644
- Deanery: South Sound Deanery
- County: Pacific
History & Catholic Heritage
Catholic life on this stretch of the lower Columbia River predates the parish by nearly a century. A Catholic community was established at McGowan Station in 1848, and in 1904 builder P.J. McGowan erected the small late-Victorian-Gothic chapel that still stands there today, using lumber floated down the Columbia and milled at McGowan. St. Mary Parish itself was formally recognized as a religious organization in March 1946 and today continues to care for the 1904 mission chapel at McGowan, which is surrounded by a National Park Service Lewis and Clark interpretative trail. A 2019 community restoration campaign, joined by descendants of P.J. McGowan, raised funds to repair the chapel's windows, roof, siding, doors and front stairs.
- Catholic community at McGowan Station established 1848
- St. Mary Mission chapel at McGowan built 1904 by P.J. McGowan
- St. Mary Parish, Seaview recognized as religious organization March 1946
- Chapel sits on the Lewis and Clark Middle Village/Station Camp NPS site
Clergy & Staff
St. Mary is pastored by Rev. David H. Young, who also serves as pastor of the other parishes in Parish Family 47. Day-to-day ministry at St. Mary is supported by Senior Deacon Dick Wallace. Regional pastoral and administrative support is provided through Joy Erickson (Regional Pastoral Assistant for Administration) and Ymelda Montiel Viveros (Parish Administrative Assistant). Deacon Jim Carney serves St. Joseph at Holy Family in the same parish family.
- Pastor: Rev. David H. Young — [email protected], 360-642-2002
- Senior Deacon: Dick Wallace — [email protected], 360-642-2002; emergency line 360-355-6193
- Parish Administrative Assistant: Ymelda Montiel Viveros — [email protected], 360-942-3000
- Regional Pastoral Assistant for Administration: Joy Erickson
Ministries & Outreach
St. Mary supports both parish-based and parish-family-wide ministries. Locally, the parish hosts an active St. Vincent de Paul conference serving neighbors in need on the peninsula, and a Knights of Columbus council that meets in the area. Through Parish Family 47 the parish collaborates with St. Lawrence (Raymond), St. Joseph at Holy Family (Frances), and the McGowan Station mission on shared pastoral and administrative ministries, supported in part by a Mission Essential Parish Family Fund grant for staffing.
- St. Vincent de Paul — Elizabeth Flanders, 360-642-8401, [email protected]
- Knights of Columbus — local council, 1112 Blake St, Raymond
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration
- Parish Family 47 collaboration with three other Pacific County parishes
St. Mary Mission Chapel at McGowan Station
A short drive from the parish church, on the bank of the Columbia River along Highway 101 near the Astoria–Megler Bridge, sits the St. Mary Mission Chapel at McGowan Station (Chinook). Built in 1904 by P.J. McGowan and now under the pastoral care of St. Mary Parish, Seaview, the small Victorian Gothic chapel still holds original furnishings from its earliest years, including a crucifix, candleholders, a picture of Mary, and a tower bell. The chapel has no electricity and no running water, and from Memorial Day through Labor Day a Sunday-evening 'fisherman's Mass' is celebrated there.
- Built 1904 by P.J. McGowan in late Victorian Gothic style
- Lumber floated down the Columbia and milled at McGowan
- Sunday evening 'fisherman's Mass' — Memorial Day through Labor Day
- No electricity, no running water
- Surrounded by NPS Lewis and Clark Middle Village/Station Camp interpretative trail
Parish Family 47 & Partners in the Gospel
Since 2024, St. Mary has been part of Parish Family 47 of the Archdiocese of Seattle, one of the parish families created through the Partners in the Gospel strategic pastoral planning process. Parish Family 47 brings together St. Joseph at Holy Family (Frances), St. Lawrence (Raymond), St. Mary (Seaview), and the McGowan Station mission under one pastor — Rev. David H. Young — sharing clergy, staff, and resources to strengthen parish ministries, liturgies, and outreach across Pacific County. The family received a $70,000 Mission Essential Parish Family Fund grant in its first year to support parish-family staffing.
- Parish Family 47 pastor: Rev. David H. Young
- Partner parishes: St. Joseph at Holy Family (Frances); St. Lawrence (Raymond); McGowan Station mission
- Launched under Partners in the Gospel, 2024
- Received $70,000 MEPFF staffing grant in year one
Visiting & Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish office is best reached by phone at 360-642-2002 or by email at [email protected]. The church is located at 4700 Pacific Way, Seaview, WA 98644, with a mailing address of PO Box 274. For the most up-to-date Holy Day, weekday, or special-event schedules, parishioners are encouraged to consult the Sunday bulletin or call the office.
- Address: 4700 Pacific Way, Seaview, WA 98644
- Mailing: PO Box 274, Seaview, WA 98644
- Phone: 360-642-2002
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]