About St. Patrick · Pasco, Washington
St. Patrick Catholic Parish in Pasco, Washington is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish of the Diocese of Spokane and one of the oldest Catholic communities in the Tri-Cities area. The parish worships at 1320 W Henry Street and serves the greater southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon region through its parish school (founded 1951), an active Hispanic ministry that dates to the 1960s, and a long-running Spanish-language radio apostolate. Mass is celebrated daily in English and Spanish, with a full Sunday schedule of seven Masses alternating between the two languages, and a chapel dedicated to perpetual adoration.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Very Rev. Theo (Terkula Theophilus) Hwande
- Diocese
- Diocese of Spokane
Why belong here
St. Patrick is one of the most fully bilingual parishes in the Diocese of Spokane, with seven Sunday Masses alternating between English and Spanish, a daily Mass schedule in both languages, and a chapel dedicated to adoration seven days a week. It anchors a Pre-K through 8th-grade Catholic school (founded 1951) that is the only faith-based Dual Language program in Eastern Washington, and its ministries — youth group, religious education, Grupo Guadalupana, St. Vincent de Paul, the long-running Spanish-language radio apostolate, and outreach to the wider Tri-Cities — are unusually broad for a parish of its size. For a Catholic family in the Tri-Cities looking for daily Mass in English or Spanish, a Catholic school with a strong Hispanic cultural identity, or simply a parish with deep roots and a live Adoration chapel, St. Patrick Pasco is the regional hub.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (English/Español)
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (English/Español)
Adoration times
- Monday — Adoration Chapel
- Tuesday — Adoration Chapel
- Wednesday — Adoration Chapel
- Thursday — Adoration Chapel; Holy Hour for Vocations 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM; Hora Santa por las Vocaciones 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Spanish)
- Friday — Adoration Chapel
- Saturday — Adoration Chapel
- Sunday — Adoration Chapel
History of St. Patrick Parish
Catholic life in Pasco dates to about 1886, when Fr. A. Neuvese offered the first Mass in a railroad section house. After decades of occasional missionary visits from Sprague and Walla Walla, Bishop J. O'Dea in 1908 appointed Fr. Emil Frederick pastor of a vast surrounding territory; Fr. Frederick gathered Catholic ladies who had saved $6.00, secured a donated parcel from the Northern Pacific Railway, and built the first permanent church on N. 4th Street in 1909. The parish was named St. Patrick by its original Board of Trustees. The full timeline on the parish website records pastors from 1886 to the present, the building of a parish center in the 1970s and 1980s, and a centennial bilingual Mass at Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium.
- First Mass in Pasco: c. 1886 (Fr. A. Neuvese)
- Parish founded: 1908–1909 (Fr. Emil Frederick, first rector)
- First church: N. 4th Street between Park and Yakima, completed November 1909 (Breezer Brothers, architect; A. Schommer, contractor; $4,696.10 cost)
- Centennial: 1986, bilingual Mass at Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium
- Diocesan Jubilee pilgrimage church: April 2000
Hispanic Ministry & the Spanish-language Apostolate
St. Patrick became a regional hub of Hispanic ministry in 1963 when Fr. Victor Briones was sent to begin Spanish-language pastoral work — at the time the only Hispanic priest in southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. He celebrated a Sunday Spanish Mass at 3:00 pm, organized a Hispanic choir, a migrant day-care and the Tri-Cities Latin American Association, helped establish the Washington State Commission on Mexican American Affairs, and placed the first Hispanic member on the parish council. The parish's Spanish-language radio ministry, begun by Msgr. Pedro Ramirez in the 1980s, continues today.
- Fr. Victor Briones, 1963–1972: first Spanish-language pastor
- Spanish Mass every Sunday, 3:00 pm (1963)
- Tri-Cities Latin American Association founded
- Grupo Guadalupana (Hispanic guild of the Altar Society), organized Easter Sunday 1981
- Spanish-language Catholic radio ministry, in continuous operation since the 1980s
Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by Very Rev. Theo Hwande as pastor (since 2024). He is assisted by Rev. Dr. Lourdu Mummadi (vicar and principal of St. Patrick Catholic School), Rev. Jose Jaime Maldonado (vicar, Spanish ministry), and Msgr. Pedro Ramirez (in residence). Seven permanent deacons serve the parish in both English and Spanish, and three religious sisters and a team of lay staff handle parish ministry, religious education, youth ministry, business and administration.
- Pastoral: Very Rev. Theo Hwande (Pastor); Rev. Dr. Lourdu Mummadi (Vicar / School Principal); Rev. Jose Jaime Maldonado (Vicar); Msgr. Pedro Ramirez (In Residence)
- Deacons: Gary Franz, Antonio Rodriguez, Abraham Valdovines, Luis Ramos, Julio Rendon, Ramiro Reyna, Victor Ortega
- Pastoral / Faith Formation: Sr. Mariela Garcia (Pastoral Minister); Sr. Elena Granados (Religious Ed Assistant); Sr. Solimar Ruiz HMSP (Youth Minister)
- Office: Raul Ochoa (Business Manager); Betsy Aleman (Bookkeeper/HR); Aurora Alcaraz (Admin Assistant); Sulma Camacho Soto (Receptionist)
St. Patrick Catholic School
Founded in 1951 and located at 1016 N 14th Avenue, Pasco, St. Patrick Catholic School offers half-day Pre-K and full-day Kindergarten through 8th grade and is the only faith-based Dual Language school in Eastern Washington. Its 2025–2026 dual-language program extends from Pre-S through 2nd grade and is intended to expand grade by grade. The school is accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA), offers extracurriculars in music, theatre, art, STEM, and P.E., and runs an active middle-school sports program (soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, with flag football planned). Rev. Dr. Lourdu Mummadi serves as both school principal and vicar of the parish.
- Founded 1951; Pre-K through 8th grade
- Accredited by WCEA
- Only faith-based Dual Language (Spanish/English) program in Eastern Washington
- School Mass: Wednesdays, 8:20 am (during school year)
- 1016 N 14th Ave, Pasco, WA 99301 — (509) 547-7261
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's religious-education program complements the school with CCD classes, youth-group programming (Ministerio Juvenil) for middle and high school students led by Sr. Solimar Ruiz HMSP, and sacramental preparation. The parish's bilingual youth ministry serves both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking teens and helps coordinate altar servers, retreats, and Confirmation preparation.
- CCD / Religious Education (Sr. Elena Granados, assistant)
- Youth & Young Adults Ministry (Ministerio Juvenil) — Sr. Solimar Ruiz HMSP
- Confirmation and Quinceañera preparation referenced on the youth page
Outreach & Charities
Charitable outreach has been part of St. Patrick's identity since the parish's early decades: the Altar Society's guilds (St. Patrick – missions and St. Vincent de Paul, among others) long coordinated aid to the poor. The parish continues to host a local St. Vincent de Paul Society and Store, partners with Catholic Charities, supports PREPARES pregnancy and parenting services, and refers families in need to Hope Medical. In the parish's history, a building at 115 West Lewis was purchased in the mid-20th century to better serve the indigent and transient of the Tri-Cities.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society and Store
- Catholic Charities
- PREPARES pregnancy and parenting support
- Hope Medical referral
- For Your Marriage resource
Diocese & Wider Church
St. Patrick is a parish of the Diocese of Spokane. The parish website notes that it was originally part of the Diocese of Nesqually (the predecessor of what became the Archdiocese of Seattle) before being assigned to the Diocese of Spokane. GCatholic also lists the parish among the Jubilee Churches named for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016.
- Diocese of Spokane
- Historically part of the Diocese of Nesqually
- Named a Jubilee Church for the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Emil Frederick1908–1910
First rector of St. Patrick; organized the Board of Trustees, raised the funds and built the first church on N. 4th Street.
- Fr. Francis Jones1910–1914
Succeeded Fr. Frederick.
- Fr. Patrick T. Kileen1919–1925
Took charge January 1, 1919.
- Fr. William Campion1925–1942
Long-tenured pastor between the wars.
- Fr. William Schmitz1942–1970
Served 28 years; oversaw post-war parish growth.
- Fr. Robert O'Neil1970–1976
Took over from Fr. Schmitz.
- Fr. Charles Skok1976–1980
Launched the parish-center planning committee chaired by Dr. Len Suhadolnik.
- Fr. Joseph Danneker1980–1982
During his tenure Bishop Lawrence Welch ordained Robert Kalinowski and Gary Franz to the permanent diaconate (Aug 21).
- Fr. Leonard Forsmann1985–1991
Returned for a second stint as pastor.
- Msgr. Pedro Ramirez1991–2007
As associate 1980–1988 had started the Spanish-language radio ministry still on the air; became pastor 1991; elevated to monsignor.
- Fr. Daniel Barnett2007–2013
Pastor (also served bilingual ministry).
- Fr. Steven Werner2013–2017
Pastor (bilingual).
- Fr. Robert Turner2017–2023
Pastor (bilingual).
- Fr. Gustavo (Gus) Ruiz and Fr. Dr. Lourdu Mummadi2023
Listed together in the 2023 transition.
- Very Rev. Theo (Terkula Theophilus) Hwande2024–present
Current pastor.