About St. Mary Station · Potlatch, Idaho
St. Mary Station is a Catholic mission church in Potlatch, Idaho, part of the Diocese of Boise. Located at 725 Spruce Street in this historic Palouse-region lumber town, the parish traces its roots to 1907, when the Potlatch Lumber Company built the church for its Catholic workers. Today the mission is served through St. Augustine's Catholic Center (Vandal Catholic) in nearby Moscow, and the small but faithful community gathers for Sunday morning Mass and a Thursday evening Mass.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Chase Hasenoehrl (pastor of St. Augustine's Catholic Center / Vandal Catholic, which serves the Potlatch mission)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Boise (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Mary Station offers a faithful Catholic presence in the heart of Potlatch — a tight-knit mission community with a 1907 Gothic church and historic stained glass. Because it is a small mission served through St. Augustine's Catholic Center (Vandal Catholic) in Moscow, parishioners are connected both to the local Palouse-region Catholic community and to the wider diocesan family of the Diocese of Boise. It's a place to worship in a deeply rooted, historic setting just a short drive from Moscow and the University of Idaho.
Mass times at St. Mary Station
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Potlatch
The Catholic community in Potlatch was already established by 1906, when Father Henrickx, the priest of the Moscow parish, reported 30 Catholic families and 15 converts in the new lumber company town. He traveled from Moscow to celebrate Sunday Mass, using the Potlatch Mercantile Company store and the basement of the school. In the fall of 1907, the Potlatch Lumber Company — which had built two hundred residences along with a fire department, school, boarding houses, general store, gymnasium, hotel, and church — constructed the present St. Mary's Catholic Church at a cost of $3,942. The first resident pastor, Father A. Aufmkolk, arrived in 1908 and served through 1909. After him came a long succession — 35 pastors in all — averaging 2.9 years each. The parish celebrated its centennial in 2007 with a published history, and the church remains an active Catholic mission more than a century later.
- Founded 1907 (church built fall 1907)
- First resident pastor: Father A. Aufmkolk, 1908–1909
- 35 pastors over the church's history (avg. 2.9 years each)
- Centennial celebrated in 2007
Architecture & Stained Glass
St. Mary's was designed in Gothic style, defined by its pointed arches, buttresses, large windows, and a three-story bell tower on the west side. It is a one-and-one-half-story building on a concrete foundation. The stained glass windows were designed and crafted by Albert A. Gerlach, formerly of Giannini & Hilgart in Chicago and trained at the Art Institute of Chicago. Gerlach was hired through the Povey Brothers Art Glass Works Studio of Portland, Oregon — known as the 'Tiffany of the Northwest' — and it took nine years for the windows to be completed. The windows depict Jesus, various saints, and angels.
- Gothic style with pointed arches, buttresses, and large windows
- Three-story bell tower on the west side
- Stained glass by Albert A. Gerlach, via the Povey Brothers Studio of Portland
- Windows depict Jesus, saints, and angels; took nine years to complete
Company Town & Church Ownership
Potlatch was a planned company town built in 1905–07 by the Potlatch Lumber Company, modeled on the Pullman Palace Car Company's town in Illinois. The lumber company owned the town and built its infrastructure, including the church. The Catholic congregation used the building rent-free while the town remained a company town. When the company sold the town in the 1950s, it formally donated the church to the congregation. Rooms added to the back of the church in 1914 served as a rectory until 1927.
Mary Garden & Memorial Statue
A metal statue of Mary in the churchyard was created around 2011 by Potlatch artist Dennis Frei, in memory of a longtime parish member.
Connection to Vandal Catholic / St. Augustine's
St. Mary Station is a mission of St. Augustine's Catholic Center in Moscow, the Catholic parish serving the University of Idaho (Vandal Catholic). The pastor and staff of St. Augustine's — including Fr. Chase Hasenoehrl, Fr. Caleb Vogel, Campus Minister Katie Goodson, and staff member Susie MacPherson — care for the Potlatch mission alongside the university parish. The Moscow office can be reached at (208) 882-4613 or [email protected], and is located at 628 South Deakin Street, Moscow, ID 83843.
- Rev. Chase Hasenoehrl — Pastor (St. Augustine's / Vandal Catholic)
- Fr. Caleb Vogel
- Katie Goodson — Campus Minister
- Susie MacPherson — parish staff
- St. Augustine's office: (208) 882-4613 — [email protected] — 628 S Deakin St., Moscow, ID 83843
Diocese
St. Mary Station is part of the Diocese of Boise (Roman Catholic), which covers the state of Idaho. The diocese was established as a vicariate apostolic in 1868 and as a diocese in 1893.
- Diocese of Boise
- Potlatch is in Latah County, on the Palouse of northern Idaho
Records & Genealogy
Records of St. Mary's Catholic Church (1917–1965) have been microfilmed by the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City from records held in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise. The films can be viewed at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City or at any FamilySearch Center.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Henrickx1906–1907 (came from Moscow)
Priest of the Moscow parish who first reported the Catholic community in Potlatch and traveled in to celebrate Sunday Mass in the company store and school basement.
- Father A. Aufmkolk1908–1909
First resident pastor of St. Mary's.
- (35 pastors in succession)1909–present
Average tenure of 2.9 years each, per the 1907–2007 centennial history.