About St. Michael · Inchelium, Washington
St. Michael Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church serving the Inchelium community on the Colville Indian Reservation in Ferry County, northeastern Washington. Established in 1925 by the Jesuits of the California and Oregon Provinces, it has historically been a predominantly Native American parish serving members of the Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, and Wenatchi peoples. Today it belongs to the Diocese of Spokane and is pastored as part of a multi-parish grouping with St. Rose of Lima (Keller), St. Joseph (Omak), and Sacred Heart (Nespelem).
- Established
- 1925
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Jake Morton, SJ
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
St. Michael Mission offers Catholics in the Inchelium area a faithful Sunday Mass and a connection to a worshipping community whose roots run back a century on the Colville Reservation. As part of a four-parish grouping with Keller, Omak, and Nespelem, the parish brings the sacraments to scattered Plateau-area families in collaboration with the Jesuits. Visitors and parishioners can expect a warm, mission-style parish life centered on the Eucharist and the long-standing Catholic presence among the tribes of the Colville Reservation.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
About St. Michael Mission
St. Michael Mission is a Roman Catholic mission parish in Inchelium, Washington, on the Colville Indian Reservation. It belongs to the Diocese of Spokane and currently offers one weekly Sunday Mass. The parish takes its name from St. Michael the Archangel, revered in Christian tradition as the leader of God's army against evil and named in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation.
- Type: Mission
- Diocese: Spokane
- Rite: Roman
- Patron: St. Michael the Archangel
History
The mission was established and dedicated on June 11, 1925 by the Jesuits of the California and Oregon Provinces, who served the community for most of its first century. Photographs from the USA West Province Archives (held at Gonzaga University) document the altars and sanctuary on the day of the dedication, and Fr. Joseph Griva organized a Corpus Christi procession through the grounds in 1927 as part of the wider Jesuit ministry across the Plateau.
- 1925 – Mission dedicated June 11, 1925 (Jesuits, California & Oregon Provinces).
- 1927 – Corpus Christi procession led by Fr. Joseph Griva.
- 1936 – Fr. Pat Savage serves as resident missionary.
- 1966 – Fr. William J. Ryan, S.J., dies after years of service at St. Michael's.
- 2010s–2020 – Attended by Jesuits from Sacred Heart, Nespelem.
- 2020–present – Administered by priests of the Diocese of Spokane / Society of Jesus.
The Native American Community of St. Michael's
From its founding, St. Michael Mission has been a predominantly Native American parish, serving Catholic families from ten tribes of the Colville Reservation: the Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, and Wenatchi peoples. Sacramental records—baptisms, marriages, and burials—have been kept continuously since 1925 and are preserved both in the Diocese of Spokane Archives and in the Jesuit USA West Province Archives, where they form part of the Guide to Catholic Records About Native Americans in the U.S.
- Tribes served: Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi.
- Archival records: 1925–ongoing (several volumes).
- Houses of record: Diocese of Spokane Archives; USA West Province Archives (St. Louis, MO).
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Michael Mission is pastored as part of a four-parish grouping with St. Rose of Lima (Keller), St. Joseph (Omak), and Sacred Heart (Nespelem). The current pastor is Rev. Jake Morton, SJ, a member of the Society of Jesus.
- Rev. Jake Morton, SJ — Pastor (St. Michael, Inchelium; St. Rose of Lima, Keller; St. Joseph, Omak; Sacred Heart, Nespelem)
Mass & Sacraments
St. Michael Mission celebrates one Mass each week on Sunday morning. Because the parish is one of four small missions sharing a single priest, confession and other sacramental celebrations are arranged by appointment. The mailing address for the parish is the same as the church's physical location on St. Michaels Road.
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM (English) — see directory listings; some online sources list 11:00 AM, so confirm with the parish office.
- Reconciliation: by appointment.
- Phone for appointments and inquiries: (509) 722-4592.
Location & Visiting
The mission sits in Inchelium, the administrative center of the Colville Indian Reservation in Ferry County, northeastern Washington. The church is reached via Hall Creek Road / St. Michaels Road off State Route 20.
- Address: 21 St. Michaels Road (Hall Creek Rd.), Inchelium, WA 99138
- Mailing: P.O. Box 122, Inchelium, WA 99138
- Phone: (509) 722-4592
- Diocese: Diocese of Spokane
Archival & Photo Resources
St. Michael Mission appears in two publicly accessible digital archives: the Plateau Peoples' Web Portal (Washington State University, with materials from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the University of Washington Libraries) and the Digital Jesuits project at Gonzaga University. These hold photographs of the mission church, its altar and sanctuary at the 1925 dedication, the 1927 Corpus Christi procession, Colville children at confirmation and First Communion, and portraits of resident missionaries.
- Plateau Peoples' Web Portal – St. Michael's Mission (Inchelium, Wash.) collection.
- Digital Jesuits / Gonzaga University – 'The Dedication of St. Michael Mission, Inchelium, Washington, 1925' and 'Corpus Christi Procession of 1927 at St. Michael's Mission at Inchelium'.
- Marquette University – Guide to Catholic Records About Native Americans in the U.S., Volume 3: WA-11.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jake Morton, SJ2020s–present
Pastors St. Michael (Inchelium), St. Rose of Lima (Keller), St. Joseph (Omak), and Sacred Heart (Nespelem) together
- Jesuits of Sacred Heart, Nespelem2010s–2020
Attended to St. Michael's from nearby Sacred Heart Mission
- Jesuits (California & Oregon Provinces), incl. Fr. Joseph Griva, Fr. Pat Savage, Fr. William J. Ryan, S.J.1925–2010s
Founded and administered the mission for most of its history