Saint Francis Xavier Mission (Lewis County, Washington) facts for kids

This is the mission church today, photographed in 2019.

Inside the church in 2019.

In the front is St. Joseph Hall (the church hall). Behind it, to the left, is the old St. Mary's Academy. The Cowlitz Indian Tribe now owns it, and it is mainly used for senior housing (2019).

The Saint Francis Xavier Mission is a very old and important place in Washington. It is located in Lewis County, Washington, about three miles north of Toledo, Washington. This mission was the very first Catholic church in what is now Washington state. As of 2019, it is still the oldest Catholic church in the state.

The first church service, called a Mass (liturgy), happened here on December 16, 1838. It was led by François Norbert Blanchet and Modeste Demers, who helped start the mission. Even though 1838 is seen as the start date, the mission's cemetery is even older. It was started around 1831 by the Hudson's Bay Company. The mission once covered 640 acres of land. It is also known as the Cowlitz Mission. Members of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe often call it Saint Mary's. This name comes from a girls' boarding school that was there from 1911 to 1973.

Teaching with the Catholic Ladder

François Norbert Blanchet used a special teaching tool called the "Catholic Ladder". This was a visual aid that helped explain the history of Christianity and the Catholic Church. It was a simple way to teach people about their faith. Today, you can still see a wooden copy of the Catholic Ladder at the mission.

Buildings Over Time

The Saint Francis Xavier Mission has had many buildings on its site. The very first chapel was a log building. It was built by July 1839. This log chapel was later replaced by a bigger church in 1879.

Sadly, that church was destroyed by a fire in 1901. The fire also burned all the church records. A priest named Father Van Holdebeke died from injuries he got while trying to save those records. A new church was built, but it also burned down in 1916. A new brick church was built in 1917, but its inside was damaged by fire in 1932. The church you see today is a rebuilt version of that brick church. Over the years, there have also been many church halls and other buildings for the priests.

Schools and Religious Orders

Religious groups have played a big part in the mission's history.

Sisters of Providence School

The Sisters of Providence were a group of nuns. They ran a convent and a school called Providence of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School. This school operated from November 13, 1876, until the end of the 1897–1898 school year. They taught both boys and girls, but in separate classes. Most of their students were French Canadian Catholics. The school faced money problems, partly because of the Depression of 1893. Also, more public schools started opening in nearby towns, which meant fewer students for their school.

Franciscan Friars and St. Mary's Academy

Later, Franciscan friars, who are a type of priest, served at the mission. They were there from 1908 to 1996. Another group, the Franciscan Sisters (Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Charity), ran a boarding school for girls. This school was called St. Mary's Academy. It was open from 1911 to 1973. The buildings for this school were different from the earlier Sisters of Providence school. Today, the Cowlitz Tribal Housing owns the former St. Mary's buildings. They are connected to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

Changes in the Church

After the Franciscan Friars left in 1996, the Church of Saint Francis Xavier saw a big change. There were fewer priests available. This parish, which used to be a main center for many other missions in Southwest Washington, became much smaller.

Some of its former churches have closed over the years:

• Sacred Heart, Winlock (closed 2016)
• Sacred Heart, Morton (closed 2018)
• Saint Agnes, Napavine (closed 1980)
• Our Lady of the Assumption, St. Urban (closed 1965)

Now, only the Church of Saint Yves in Mossyrock and the church of Saint Mary in Kelso remain from the once-large mission area. Since 2009, the old St. Mary's building has been used as housing for seniors from the Cowlitz Tribe.

See also

• Fort Cowlitz

Images for kids

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  The present-day mission church, photographed in 2019.

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  Church interior (2019).

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  In foreground, St. Joseph Hall (church hall); in background at left, the former St. Mary's Academy, now property of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and used mainly as senior housing (2019).