Last updated: July 28, 2022
Place
Saint Joseph's Mission
National Park Service
Quick Facts
Location:
46°18'52.56"N 116°42'38.66"W
Significance:
One of the catholic missions established on the Nez Perce Reservation
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Protestant missionaries had an established presence in Nez Perce country for over twenty years when Father Cataldo arrived in the area in 1867. Despite fierce competition from some of the Protestant churches on the reservation, Cataldo successfully established St. Joseph’s Mission, the first Roman Catholic mission to serve the Nez Perce people. Chief Slickpoo, a local Nez Perce leader, gave permission to establish a mission on the lands used by his band. While Father Cataldo would leave once the mission was founded and go on to establish Gonzaga University, a large complex would grow on the site. One of the first structures to be built was a chapel in 1868.
The mission, located on private property, closed in 1958. The chapel is not accessible to the public.