For those who think the Catholic Church’s best days are behind it—that we only close churches nowadays, rather than build them, or think that faith and community life are always waning and never gaining ground—keep reading.
Almost certainly you have never heard of a place called Mattawa, Washington. It is an otherwise sleepy agricultural town in Central Washington, and the Catholic Church is booming here.
Mattawa is like so many places Catholic Extension Society is privileged to support: most people could never find it on a map, or never knew it existed. Yet something very important is happening in this place.
A new parish named Holy Cross, which will be dedicated July 31, challenges the prevailing narratives about what we think we know about the story of Catholicism in this country.
Catholic Extension Society supported their effort to expand their church to accommodate all the people who call this sacred space their home.
Half the town goes to Mass
In a town of 3,300 people, the original church, with its 184 seating capacity, often saw 1,500 to 2,000 people for Sunday Mass. More people fit outside the church than inside. The parish had to set up a tarp to protect the congregation from the scorching sun.
The expanded church will accommodate 600 people.
Few places in the country exist where north of 50% of Catholics regularly attend Sunday Mass. If this were the case in many other areas of the country, we would have to build or expand thousands of churches.
The extended population of the “mountain slope” that surrounds this fertile valley beyond the town limits of Mattawa includes up to 10,000 people. When the parish celebrates its high holy days and community feasts, thousands and thousands come to their events held on the church grounds.
This past Father’s Day, they held a parish Mass and fundraiser that included “horse dancing,” a spectacle that includes horses stepping in rhythm to Mexican banda music. Crowds flocked to the parish grounds for the show.
Nearly everyone in this parish works in agriculture in some form or fashion. That includes Emily Rojas and Teresa Suarez, who pick the grapes for a local vineyard and winery, which is often used for Eucharistic celebrations.
They must hear the priests’ words offering “fruit of vine and work of human hands” differently than the rest of us.
Mattawa is as picturesque as a postcard. The church is surrounded by windswept mountains on all sides, with the white-capped Columbia River rushing through the green, fruited valley.
It might not seem like a place that would draw so many faithful. But this has become a thriving faith community that spiritually feeds the people who feed us with the crops they pick.
And, while the fruit harvest is great and work abundant, people’s wages are modest. The parish sits on the edge of this subdivision filled with humble trailer homes patrolled by stray dogs.
But there is a lot of happiness here, with many young families, and the church is the heart of its community life.
So how does a mostly farmworker parish raise enough money to expand their church and make room for everyone? They sell agricultural products, of course.
In the past few years, the parish sold half a million dollars’ worth of donated artisanal honey—49 pallets of it, in fact. Catholic Extension Society has also kicked in to help accelerate their fundraising efforts through a matching challenge.
Priests know their people
While the people’s faith and sweat are equally the true engines of this parish, it also helps to have a dynamic pastor who knows his people.
Father Lalo Barragán also comes from a farm worker family. Prior to becoming a priest in 2013, Father Barragán picked fruit alongside his parents and siblings to help make ends meet. He brings every bit of that tireless work ethic to his role as pastor, where his community continues to grow under his care and thoughtful leadership.
He has even impressed them on occasion with his own horse riding skills.
The priests rolled up their sleeves to help prepare for the church expansion by moving out the pews with their parishioners. Associate pastor Father John Washington proudly wore a gash on his head, failing to duck his head in a doorway during the move. In a parish of laborers, it’s important that priests show that they too are like the people—willing to put in a hard day’s work for a worthwhile cause.
Bernadina Pantaleon loves Father Barragán. She said, “He gave us the strength to do this,” referring to the effort to raise funds for the church. She took on the important task of operating parish food sales, the net proceeds of which went directly into the new church.
During the year-long construction, which began in 2025, Masses were held in the parish’s outdoor plaza.
They withstood the 105 degree summer days, but the rain and snow proved too challenging, so they rented an old asparagus warehouse to serve as their temporary indoor church so they could celebrate Mass during months of inclement weather. The shed was simple but they were able to maintain a sense of sacredness in the space, even offering daily Mass and adoration.
Parishioners knew their inconvenience was only temporary, and the excitement about what was to come far outweighed any discomfort.
Isabel Mejia’s voice quivered as she talked about the dream of having this new church. She has been a catechist and parishioner since 2000. “It is something that for many years I had hoped for, as had many in our community,” she said.
If ever there was a textbook example of what a “vibrant and transformative” Catholic community looks like, Mattawa fits the description.
The harvest is indeed plentiful, and the newly dedicated Holy Cross Church is reaping all the seeds of faith that they have sown since their foundation as a parish in 1987. They are now positioned to grow their mission under the extended walls of their church.
Father Barragán is thankful for our solidarity, saying, “Thank you, Catholic Extension, for being with us in this beautiful journey with our people.”
Catholic Extension Society has constructed over 13,000 churches since our founding in 1905, which includes Our Lady of the Desert in Mattawa, Washington. You can help by supporting our mission today!
Header photo: Juan Guajardo
