About St. Paul · Yakima, Washington
St. Paul Cathedral is the mother church and seat (cathedra) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima, serving central Washington state from its location in downtown Yakima. Founded in 1914 by Rev. Robert Armstrong, the parish outgrew its first home and in 1927 moved into the present Spanish Colonial Revival cathedral designed by architect John Maloney and modeled on San Francisco's Mission Dolores. Now pastoring some 1,800 families, St. Paul offers a full cathedral program of daily and Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, perpetual Friday adoration, Saturday confessions, a parish school, robust youth ministry (LIFETEEN/SPY Edge), RCIA, and a music program featuring the cathedral's own choir along with visiting ensembles from area universities.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. John A. Ecker
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima
Why belong here
St. Paul Cathedral is the historic mother church of the Diocese of Yakima — a parish where you can pray in a 1927 Spanish Mission cathedral under vaulted ceilings and Loire stained glass, hear Mass in English or Spanish any day of the week, and join a deeply rooted community of roughly 1,800 families. The cathedral pairs traditional cathedral devotions (Friday all-day adoration with Benediction, Saturday confessions, Sunday vespers) with strong active programs: a parish school and Christ the Teacher Catholic Schools system, a long-running LIFETEEN/SPY Edge youth ministry with its own Sunday evening teen Mass, a two-year First Communion/First Reconciliation program, a lively RCIA process, and a music program that has hosted university choirs and the Yakima Valley Symphony Chorus. Pastor Msgr. John A. Ecker — one of the longest-tenured cathedral priests in the United States — is widely known for personal pastoral care and ecumenical outreach across the Yakima Valley.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM (or by appointment)
- Also available by appointment through the parish office
Adoration times
- Friday: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM, with Benediction at 6:00 PM
- Holy Thursday evening: Eucharistic Adoration in the Cathedral Chapel following the 7:30 PM Mass of the Lord's Supper, until 10:00 PM
History of St. Paul Cathedral
St. Paul Cathedral traces its roots to the Catholic missionary work of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who came to the Yakima River Valley in 1847 at the invitation of Yakama Chief Owhi and established St. Joseph Mission. The parish itself was founded in 1914 by Rev. Robert Armstrong, who celebrated the first Mass in the chapel of St. Elizabeth Hospital on Easter Sunday, March 19, 1914. Within months, five acres between West Chestnut/Walnut and South 12th/14th Avenues were purchased and a school/church combination was begun. The present cathedral was built in 1926–27 to a Spanish Mission design by architect John Maloney, inspired by San Francisco's Mission Dolores. In 1951 Pope Pius XII created the Diocese of Yakima and named St. Paul's the diocesan cathedral.
- 1847: Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (Fathers Pandosy, Chirouse, Blanchett, Richard) arrive in the Yakima Valley at the invitation of Yakama Chief Owhi
- March 19, 1914 (Easter Sunday): First Mass celebrated in the chapel of St. Elizabeth Hospital by founding pastor Rev. Robert Armstrong
- 1914: Five acres purchased from D.E. Lesh; groundbreaking for combined school and church
- 1920: Beezer Brothers-designed rectory added behind the church
- July 1926: Excavation begins for the present church (architect John Maloney)
- April 18, 1927 (Easter Sunday): First Mass in the still-unfinished cathedral
- July 18, 1951: Diocese of Yakima created by Pope Pius XII; St. Paul's named cathedral; Rev. Joseph Dougherty installed as first bishop
- 1954–1955: Expansion – terrazzo floor, oak pews, new confessionals, baptistry, sacristy and Cathedral Chapel (seating increased 600→800)
- 1958: Fr. John A. Ecker arrives from the Archdiocese of Boston
- 1981: Interior remodeled for Vatican II liturgical reforms; green-marble altar floor recycled into the Forgiveness Fountain
- 1980s: Rose window over choir loft and La Virgen de Guadalupe window installed
- 1998: Sunday Spanish-language Mass added
- November 2004: Arson fire in chapel – rebuilt with a 1920 Florida pipe organ added to the cathedral's instruments
Architecture & Art
St. Paul Cathedral is a Spanish Colonial Revival (Spanish Mission) church designed by John Maloney and modeled on San Francisco's Mission Dolores. The cross-shaped nave is capped with a red tile roof; a 125-foot bell tower crowned by a blue-glazed tile dome with bronze cross dominates the main façade and plays Westminster chimes through the day. The cathedral's most photographed sculptures are the niche figures above the portico — the Blessed Virgin and the Christ Child with St. Peter, flanked by St. Paul and the four evangelists — along with the symbolic Yakima Valley crop columns on the portico and the Michael the Archangel figure.
- 125-foot tower with blue glazed-tile dome and bronze cross
- Red-tile roof over a cross-shaped nave
- Gabriel Loire (Chartres, France) stained-glass windows in the Cathedral Chapel
- Rose window over the choir loft
- La Virgen de Guadalupe window in the Cathedral Chapel
- Three pipe organs (including a 1920 Florida instrument added after the 2004 arson)
- Forgiveness Fountain (made from the original high-altar green marble)
- Terrazzo floor with oak pews (installed 1954–55)
- Westminster chimes on the tower
- Stained-glass windows depicting St. Paul (twice on façade), Mary and Christ Child with St. Peter, Michael the Archangel, the four evangelists, and the crops of the Yakima Valley (apples, corn, grapes, peaches, pears, tomatoes, wheat)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education and sacramental preparation are coordinated by Emma Mendoza (elementary) and Shawn Exner (middle school). Children in grades 1–12 prepare for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion through a two-year parish program that meets weekly at the school building from September through May.
- Two-year First Reconciliation / First Communion program (grades 1–12)
- Elementary Religious Education (Emma Mendoza): 509-575-3713 ext. 105
- Middle School Religious Education / SPY Edge (Shawn Exner): 509-575-3713 ext. 109
- Classes meet Tuesdays and Sundays at the school building
- $45 fee per child for books and supplies
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
Adults interested in becoming Catholic or completing their sacraments are welcomed through the parish RCIA process. Coordinator Colette Sattler can be reached at 509-457-4717. Periodic 'Inquiry' evenings are held at the adjacent St. Paul Cathedral School, 214 W. Chestnut Ave., using the school's east door, with presentation, refreshments and time for questions.
- RCIA contact: Colette Sattler, 509-457-4717
- Inquiry evenings at St. Paul Cathedral School, 214 W. Chestnut Ave.
- Parish website publishes scheduled Inquiry events
Youth Ministry — Life Teen & SPY Edge
St. Paul has hosted the LIFETEEN program since 1997. The Sunday 7:00 PM LIFETEEN Mass is followed by LIFENITE gatherings on the third floor of the school, where teens play games, build fellowship and learn about issues of Catholic faith and morality. The middle-school ministry, SPY Edge (St. Paul Youth Edge), follows the LIFETEEN model for grades 6–8 and meets Thursdays 7:00–8:30 PM during the school year. Confirmation is offered to juniors and seniors in high school and requires a Confirmation retreat, regular LIFENITE participation and spring classes.
- LIFETEEN Mass: Sundays 7:00 PM in the cathedral
- LIFENITE (high school): after the LIFETEEN Mass on the 3rd floor of the school
- SPY Edge (grades 6–8): Thursdays 7:00–8:30 PM, 3rd floor of the school
- Teen Confirmation: juniors and seniors; retreat + LIFENITE participation + spring classes
- Teens need not be Catholic to attend
Music & Liturgy
Music is central to cathedral life. Music Director / Organist Michael Kim leads the cathedral's own choir and oversees a music program that has hosted visiting performances by choirs from Washington State University, Central Washington University, Pacific Lutheran University, and the Yakima Valley Symphony Chorus. The cathedral is now home to three pipe organs, the newest addition being a 1920 Florida instrument installed in the rebuilt chapel after the 2004 arson.
- Music Director/Organist: Michael Kim — [email protected]
- Cathedral choir
- Three pipe organs (main + chapel)
- Visiting choral performances by WSU, CWU, PLU and Yakima Valley Symphony Chorus
Pastoral Care & Outreach
Parish pastoral care to homebound and senior parishioners is coordinated by Alma Jauregui. Monsignor John A. Ecker has also long represented the Diocese of Yakima on the local Ecumenical Interfaith Council, working alongside Yakima-area Protestant clergy through the Association of Faith Communities.
- Pastoral Care for Senior Citizens: Alma Jauregui — 509-575-3091
- Parish office: 509-575-3713
- Diocesan ecumenical representation through Monsignor Ecker (since the 1960s)
- Active membership in the Association of Faith Communities (formerly Association of Churches)
Clergy, Staff & Parish Leadership
St. Paul Cathedral is pastored by one of the longest-serving cathedral priests in the United States, Monsignor John A. Ecker, who also serves as Vicar General of the Diocese of Yakima. He is assisted by a parochial vicar, a permanent deacon, and a parish staff responsible for the office, religious education, youth ministry, music, maintenance, contributions and pastoral care.
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. John A. Ecker — 509-575-3713 ext. 104 ([email protected])
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jesús Mariscal — 509-575-3713 ext. 101 ([email protected])
- Deacon: Timm Wauzynski
- Office Manager: Emma Mendoza — 509-575-3713 ext. 105
- Administrative Assistant: Valerie Means — 509-575-3713 ext. 102
- Youth Minister: Shawn Exner — 509-902-7150
- Music Director/Organist: Michael Kim — [email protected]
- Maintenance Manager: Ray Melki
- Bookkeeper: Theresa McCormick — 509-575-3713 ext. 110
- Contributions: Diane Young — 509-575-3713 ext. 102
- Pastoral Care: Alma Jauregui — 509-575-3713
- RCIA: Colette Sattler — 509-457-4717
- Finance Council: Rick Pinnell (President), Heather Remillard, Msgr. John Ecker, Sue Price-Scott, Bill Hays, Tom Sevigny, David McKinney
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Robert Armstrong1914–
Founding pastor; celebrated the first Easter Mass in 1914 at St. Elizabeth Hospital and led construction of the present cathedral in 1926–27. San Francisco native who modeled the cathedral on Mission Dolores. Later became Bishop of Sacramento.
- Rev. Msgr. John A. Ecker1958–1966 (associate then rector), 1988–present (pastor)
Arrived from the Archdiocese of Boston on a three-year loan; became rector in 1963. Left Yakima in 1966, served Holy Family (Yakima), Queen of All Saints (Warden), and helped found Holy Spirit (Kennewick, 1980). Returned as pastor in 1988 at Bishop Skylstad's invitation. Made a Monsignor in 2005. Also Vicar General of the Diocese of Yakima. Celebrated a televised requiem Mass at the cathedral for President John F. Kennedy in 1963.