About St. Philomena · Des Moines, Washington
St. Philomena Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Des Moines, Washington, part of the Archdiocese of Seattle and now paired with St. Thomas in Tukwila under Parish Family 29 of the Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning initiative. The parish serves a bilingual community, celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish throughout the week, and operates St. Philomena Catholic School as an integral part of its Catholic identity. Its mission statement calls the faithful to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, faith formation, and compassionate service to neighbor.
- Established
- 1927
- Patron
- St. Philomena
- Rector
- Rev. Todd O. Strange
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle
Why belong here
St. Philomena is a welcoming bilingual parish that celebrates the Eucharist in both English and Spanish, runs a parish Catholic school (St. Philomena School), and sustains an unusually rich array of ministries — Perpetual Adoration in a 24-hour chapel, Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, Eucharistic Outreach to the homebound, OCIA for adults entering the Church, sacramental prep for children, youth ministry, a Women's Bible Study, and monthly Works of Mercy collections supporting the Des Moines Food Bank, Pregnancy Aid, Thea Bowman Housing, Respect Life, and St. Vincent de Paul. Coffee and Donuts after the morning Sunday Masses make it a community where newcomers can quickly be known by name.
Mass times at St. Philomena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the chapel — open 24 hours except during Mass times (contact: Virgil)
- First Friday: 9:00 AM Mass, followed by Anointing of the Sick and Exposition; 10:00 AM Confessions; 10:30 AM Rosary; 10:50 AM Litany of the Sacred Heart; 11:00 AM Reposition of the Eucharist
Our Story & History
The drive to establish a Catholic parish in the small south-King County town of Des Moines began in 1925, spurred by local Catholic families who had no nearby church. The first Mass was offered in January 1927 in the Odd Fellows Hall, but the congregation quickly outgrew that arrangement. By March 1927, parishioners had purchased a private home at Ninth Avenue S. and Vashon Street — the same alignment as today's S. 222nd Street — and, through volunteer labor, remodeled it into a sanctuary that could seat one hundred worshippers. In 1928, a donation of $1,000 arrived from Philomena Fitzpatrick of Dayton, Ohio. Touched by her generosity, the community named the church in honor of her patron saint, St. Philomena. In 1954 the parish moved into the present church building at 1790 S. 222nd Street, where it continues to serve the surrounding community nearly a century after that first Des Moines Mass. Today the parish is bilingual (English and Spanish), operates a parish school, and is partnered with St. Thomas in Tukwila under the Archdiocese of Seattle's Partners in the Gospel planning process.
- 1925: drive to found a Catholic church in Des Moines begins
- January 1927: first Mass in Odd Fellows Hall
- March 1927: private home remodeled into a 100-seat sanctuary
- 1928: church named for St. Philomena after donation from Philomena Fitzpatrick of Dayton, OH
- 1954: parish moves into current church at 1790 S. 222nd Street
- 2024: paired with St. Thomas, Tukwila as Parish Family 29 (Partners in the Gospel)
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Todd O. Strange, assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Benjamin A. Bray, Deacon Gerald Graddon (Pastoral Outreach), and Deacon Abel Magaña (Pastoral Assistant for Hispanic Ministry). A lay staff supports the parish office, religious education, music, facilities, communications, and bookkeeping, while Dr. Steve Morissette serves as principal of St. Philomena Catholic School.
- Rev. Todd O. Strange — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Benjamin A. Bray — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Gerald Graddon — Pastoral Outreach ([email protected])
- Deacon Abel Magaña — Pastoral Assistant for Hispanic Ministry ([email protected])
- Holli Niegel — Religious Ed. Director ([email protected])
- Youngjin Joo — Music Director
- James Middaugh — Organist & Choir Director (10:30 AM Sun, 5:30 PM Sat, 8:30 AM Sun)
- Eduardo Ramirez — Spanish Mass Music Director
- Carina Schoen — Youth Group Leader ([email protected])
- Dr. Steve Morissette — School Principal ([email protected])
- Tita Ruiz — Pastoral Assistant for Administration
- Vianey Valenzuela — Administrative Assistant
- Ania Velasco — Admin. Asst. for Hispanic Ministry
- Monica Schwarz — Bookkeeper
- Lucy Giaccio — Communications Coordinator
- Derrin Walter — Facilities Manager
- Isabel Gomez — Receptionist / Parish Office Support
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Philomena serves children, teens, and adults. Weekly Religious Education classes meet Monday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 PM, September through May, for grades 1 through 8. Sacramental Preparation is a two-year program: year one focuses on basic doctrine and prayers; year two emphasizes Reconciliation (in the fall) and Eucharist / the Mass (with First Communion in the spring). Adults preparing to enter the Church journey through OCIA, with classes for Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation culminating at the Easter Vigil.
- Religious Education (Grades 1–8), Mondays 6:30–7:30 PM — Holli Neigel
- Sacramental Prep (two-year: Reconciliation in fall, First Communion in spring)
- Teen Confirmation Team
- OCIA / OCIC (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults/Children) — Holli Neigel
- Vacation Bible School — Holli Neigel
- Children's Baptism prep — English: Jo Brosamer; Spanish: Saul Duran
St. Philomena Catholic School
St. Philomena Catholic School, located at 1815 S. 220th Street in Des Moines, is described by Principal Dr. Steve Morissette as 'an integral part of the Catholic identity of St. Philomena Parish.' The school focuses on spiritual growth alongside a morally based and academically challenging environment, with the principal inviting prospective families to visit the campus to see whether the school is the right fit for their child. The school's phone is 206-824-4051.
- Principal: Dr. Steve Morissette
- Address: 1815 S. 220th St, Des Moines, WA 98198
- Phone: 206-824-4051
- Website: stphilomenaschool.com
Liturgy, Music & Prayer Life
Music for the Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning English Masses is led by organist and choir director James Middaugh; Youngjin Joo serves as overall Music Director for the parish; and Eduardo Ramirez directs music for the Spanish Mass. The Perpetual Adoration chapel offers 24-hour adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (closed only during Mass times). The Legion of Mary meets Thursdays at 3:30 PM for the Rosary and a planning meeting, then members do two hours of apostolic work per week — visiting the homebound and reaching out to inactive Catholics.
- Saturday Vigil and Sunday English choirs — James Middaugh
- Music Director — Youngjin Joo
- Spanish Mass music — Eduardo Ramirez
- Perpetual Adoration chapel (24 hours)
- First Friday devotions (Anointing, Exposition, Rosary, Litany of the Sacred Heart)
- Legion of Mary — Delores Rybacki (Thu 3:30 PM Rosary; homebound visits)
Parish Life & Fellowship
Fellowship at St. Philomena centers on simple, regular gatherings that make the parish feel like a small town. Coffee and Donuts are served after the 8:30 and 10:30 AM Sunday Masses, giving newcomers a natural way to meet people. The parish also sponsors an annual Parish Family Potluck Picnic — in 2026 scheduled for Sunday, September 20 — and partners with Camp Hamilton as a youth and faith event. Parish leadership groups include the Finance Council (Mark Hunt).
- Coffee and Donuts after 8:30 & 10:30 Sunday Masses
- Parish Family Potluck Picnic (annual)
- Camp Hamilton (youth/faith event)
- Finance Council — Mark Hunt
- Parish Office Support volunteers
Outreach, Charity & Works of Mercy
The parish's social ministries reach out to the wider Des Moines / South King County community in concrete ways. Each Friday a group delivers homemade sandwiches for an evening meal to homeless men at St. Martin de Porres Shelter in Seattle. Pregnancy Aid helps families with infants and young children through layettes, clothing, toys, and car seats. The Des Moines Food Bank (based at the Des Moines United Methodist Church) receives parish support, and the parish brings Communion to the homebound and offers a quarterly Communion service in nursing and assisted-living homes.
- St. Martin de Porres Shelter — Friday sandwich deliveries
- Pregnancy Aid — Jo Brosamer
- Des Moines Food Bank — Mike Adams
- Eucharistic Outreach / homebound Communion — Deacon Jerry Graddon
- Outreach Ministry — Joyce Thompson, Claire Navarre
- Funeral ministry — set-up, serving, and clean-up
Works of Mercy Monthly Collection
Beginning on the weekend of January 24–25 (each year), St. Philomena takes a second collection at all Sunday Masses for a rotating set of five local partner organizations. Donations are placed in bright yellow Works of Mercy envelopes found in the pews and distributed at the end of each quarter. Partners are the Des Moines Food Bank, Thea Bowman Housing (Catholic Community Services), Respect Life Ministries, Des Moines Pregnancy Aid, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
- Des Moines Food Bank
- Thea Bowman Housing (Catholic Community Services)
- Respect Life Ministries
- Des Moines Pregnancy Aid
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
Parish Family 29 & Partners in the Gospel
In 2024 the Archdiocese of Seattle grouped St. Philomena (Des Moines, 98198) and St. Thomas (Tukwila, 98168) together as Parish Family 29 under the Partners in the Gospel strategic pastoral planning process. The two parishes share a pastor and collaborate pastorally while each retains its own worship site, staff, and community identity.
- Parish Family 29 in the Archdiocese of Seattle
- Partners: St. Philomena (Des Moines) and St. Thomas (Tukwila)
- Linked to South King Deanery
- Initiated under the 2024 Partners in the Gospel planning
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Philomena Catholic Church at 1790 S. 222nd St, Des Moines, WA 98198-7914, by phone at (206) 878-8709, by fax at (206) 824-3480, or by email at [email protected]. The parish is in the South King Deanery of the Archdiocese of Seattle, in King County. Newcomers are encouraged to register with the parish to be welcomed into the community.
- Address: 1790 S 222nd St, Des Moines, WA 98198-7914
- Phone: (206) 878-8709
- Fax: (206) 824-3480
- Email: [email protected]
- County: King
- Deanery: South King
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Stephen Woodland
Listed as pastor on an older parish directory/bulletin