About St. Mary · White Swan, Washington
St. Mary Parish is a Roman Catholic mission parish serving the small community of White Swan, Washington, located on the eastern side of the Yakama Indian Reservation in the lower Yakima Valley. Established in 1889, it is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in central Washington and belongs to the Diocese of Yakima. The parish is presently staffed by Jesuit priests (Society of Jesus, S.J.) who also serve neighboring St. Aloysius Parish in Toppenish, and it ministers to a bilingual community of Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo parishioners with weekend Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Diocese
- Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
St. Mary Parish is a welcoming bilingual Catholic community that has served the White Swan area on the Yakama Reservation since 1889, making it one of the oldest parishes in central Washington. Worshippers can pray in either English or Spanish at Sunday Mass, and the parish maintains active ministries for Native Americans, Hispanic families, youth, and adults seeking the sacraments through RCIA. With Jesuit priests currently staffing it alongside neighboring St. Aloysius, the parish offers a uniquely missionary and culturally rich experience for anyone on the reservation looking for a close-knit Catholic home.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 p.m. (per catholicmasstime.org listing)
- Sunday before Masses (per Diocese of Yakima directory: 'Confessions are only before Sunday mass')
Parish Identity & Community
St. Mary Parish serves the small unincorporated community of White Swan, Washington, on the eastern edge of the Yakama Indian Reservation in the lower Yakima Valley. The parish is rooted in the 19th-century Catholic missionary tradition among the Yakama people — a tradition that began with the 1847 St. Joseph Mission of Fathers Pandosy, Chirouse, and Blanchet at the request of Chief Owhi — and remains a small but enduring presence in the life of the reservation. Its current membership reflects the area's multicultural makeup, with English- and Spanish-speaking families as well as Native American parishioners all finding a home at St. Mary's.
- Parish name: St. Mary
- Established: 1889
- Diocese: Diocese of Yakima
- Patron: Blessed Virgin Mary
- Community: White Swan / Signal Peak area, Yakama Indian Reservation
History of St. Mary Parish
The Diocese of Yakima's official chronology records that land for St. Mary's at White Swan was contributed in 1887 and the church itself was built in 1889 — the same year Washington achieved statehood. The parish grew out of the broader Catholic mission to the Yakama people that began at St. Joseph Mission in 1847, continued (after the destruction of the Ahtanum Mission in 1855) through itinerant priests, and eventually produced a permanent church at White Swan. A printed centenary history, 'History of St. Mary's Parish, White Swan, 1889–1989,' is preserved in the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Library and remains a key source for the parish's first century.
- 1887 — Land for the church donated.
- 1889 — St. Mary's Church built and the parish established.
- 1889 — Washington becomes a state.
- 1989 — Centenary of the parish marked (printed history published).
- Heritage rooted in the 1847 St. Joseph Mission of Fathers Pandosy and Chirouse.
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
St. Mary Parish is currently served by members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits, S.J.), continuing the order's historic missionary presence among the Yakama. The two Jesuit parochial vicars — Rev. Isidro Lepez, S.J. and Rev. William Vogel, S.J. — jointly serve St. Mary Parish in White Swan and St. Aloysius Parish in Toppenish. Day-to-day administrative oversight for the partnered parishes is provided by Msgr. Robert Siler as Moderating Administrator and Deacon Pete Fadich as Administrator, both listed on the St. Aloysius Parish directory page.
- Rev. Isidro Lepez, S.J. — Parochial Vicar, St. Mary & St. Aloysius
- Rev. William Vogel, S.J. — Parochial Vicar, St. Mary & St. Aloysius
- Msgr. Robert Siler — Moderating Administrator (St. Aloysius)
- Deacon Pete Fadich — Administrator (St. Aloysius)
Parish Staff & Volunteers (Diocese of Yakima Directory, 2020)
The Diocese of Yakima's 2020 Official Directory lists the following staff and volunteer leaders serving St. Mary Parish alongside the priests.
- Deacon Indalecio Andy Gonzalez (2760 Brownstown Rd., Harrah, WA 98933)
- Mary Garcia — Secretary
- Carrie Peterson — Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Kelly Sauer — Religious Education & Middle School Youth Ministry
- Elvia González — Hispanic Religious Education
- Mike & Jon Sauer — High School Youth Ministry (502 Stephenson Rd., Wapato 98951)
- Anita Griffin — Finance Council Contact
- Mike St. Hilaire — Pastoral Council President
Parish Ministries & Faith Formation
St. Mary's runs an unusually broad slate of ministries for a small parish, including faith formation for children and adults in both English and Spanish. The diocese directory identifies RCIA, Religious Education, Hispanic Religious Education, and Youth Ministry (split into Middle School and High School tracks) as ongoing programs. A specific Ministry to Native Americans — staffed in 2020 by Rev. John Shaw — reaches out to the surrounding Yakama community. The parish is governed by both a Finance Council and a Pastoral Council.
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Religious Education (English)
- Hispanic Religious Education (En Español)
- Youth Ministry — Middle School
- Youth Ministry — High School
- Ministry to Native Americans
- Finance Council
- Pastoral Council
Contact, Location & Office Hours
St. Mary Parish sits on Signal Peak Road in White Swan, the small service community on the eastern side of the Yakama Reservation. The mailing address is P.O. Box 417, White Swan, WA 98952. The parish office is open on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and can be reached by phone at (509) 874-2436 or by email at [email protected].
- Physical address: 360 Signal Peak Rd., White Swan, WA 98952-0417
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 417, White Swan, WA 98952
- Phone: (509) 874-2436
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Wednesday 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Connection to St. Aloysius Parish, Toppenish
St. Mary shares its Jesuit pastoral team with St. Aloysius Parish in Toppenish, a larger parish just a few miles east on the reservation. The two communities are administered together with Msgr. Robert Siler and Deacon Pete Fadich providing continuity, while Rev. Lepez and Rev. Vogel celebrate the sacraments at both churches. Visitors and parishioners are often referred between the two parishes for Mass, confession, and sacramental preparation.
- Shared Jesuit parochial vicars: Rev. Isidro Lepez, S.J. and Rev. William Vogel, S.J.
- Moderating Administrator: Msgr. Robert Siler
- Administrator: Deacon Pete Fadich
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William E. ShawAssigned July 2002
Listed as Pastor of St. Mary Parish in the Diocese of Yakima Official Directory (2020 edition); also oversaw RCIA and Ministry to Native Americans.
- Rev. John M. Shaw
Listed 'In Residence' in the 2020 diocesan directory; involved in Ministry to Native Americans.
- Rev. Isidro Lepez, S.J.Current
Parochial Vicar serving both St. Mary (White Swan) and St. Aloysius (Toppenish); Jesuit of the Society of Jesus.
- Rev. William Vogel, S.J.Current
Parochial Vicar serving both St. Mary and St. Aloysius Parishes; Jesuit of the Society of Jesus.