Immaculate Conception: A Sacred Piece of Washington’s Catholic Heritage

The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Steilacoom holds a special place in the history of Catholicism in the Pacific Northwest. Built around 1857 by soldiers stationed at Fort Steilacoom, the chapel was the first Catholic church constructed in what is now the Archdiocese of Seattle.

That same year, Father Louis Rossi, a Belgian missionary priest, was assigned to serve the Puget Sound Region. He became the first to celebrate Mass in the chapel and continued to do so for two years.

In 1864, soldiers and settlers dismantled the chapel and moved it from the fort to its current location in downtown Steilacoom. It was blessed on June 26, 1864, by Bishop Augustin Blanchet and dedicated to Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception.

For years, it served as the mother church of the region, until the departure of Father John Baptist Brondel in 1880, after which it was designated a mission church.

Throughout the decades, the Immaculate Conception Church has remained a cherished spiritual home. It has been administered by various parishes, including Olympia and Visitation in Tacoma, and is now joyfully maintained as a mission of St. John Bosco Parish.

On September 21, 1918, the Washington State Historical Society placed a commemorative tablet outside the church, recognizing it as the oldest Catholic church in the Archdiocese of Seattle.