February 4, 2024
A New Family This weekend we are finding out who will be in our new Parish Family. This re-organization, taking place across the Archdiocese of Seattle, is meant to re-invigorate and renew our local Catholic Church. Fewer priests and lay ecclesial ministers, rising costs of running a parish, and changing practices among some of our Catholics show us that the status quo is no longer an option. After significant research and discussion with other dioceses, our Archdiocese selected the parish family model for restructuring, which combines two or more parishes under the leadership of one pastor and one or more parochial vicars (assistant priests). The archdiocese spent most of the last year in consultation with priests, deacons, parish and school staffs, lay leaders and parishioners. This feed back resulted in some changes, including our originally proposed parish family. We held a second round of listening sessions regarding the change that was proposed. I want to thank all our parishioners who shared their insights and concerns. The parish families will go into effect July 1 of this year. Over the next three years, the parish families discern on the local level how best to become one canonical parish. This does not necessarily mean having only one site or campus. Prayer, creativity, and sensitivity will help us look at ways of being a vibrant faith community, faithful to the command of Christ to bring the Gospel to all people. For more information, go to archseattle.org/partners/
A New Family
This weekend we are finding out who will be in our new Parish Family. This re-organization, taking place across the Archdiocese of Seattle, is meant to re-invigorate and renew our local Catholic Church. Fewer priests and lay ecclesial ministers, rising costs of running a parish, and changing practices among some of our Catholics show us that the status quo is no longer an option.
After significant research and discussion with other dioceses, our Archdiocese selected the parish family model for restructuring, which combines two or more parishes under the leadership of one pastor and one or more parochial vicars (assistant priests). The archdiocese spent most of the last year in consultation with priests, deacons, parish and school staffs, lay leaders and parishioners. This feed back resulted in some changes, including our originally proposed parish family. We held a second round of listening sessions regarding the change that was proposed. I want to thank all our parishioners who shared their insights and concerns.
The parish families will go into effect July 1 of this year. Over the next three years, the parish families discern on the local level how best to become one canonical parish. This does not necessarily mean having only one site or campus. Prayer, creativity, and sensitivity will help us look at ways of being a vibrant faith community, faithful to the command of Christ to bring the Gospel to all people.
For more information, go to archseattle.org/partners/
January 28, 2024
Catholic Schools
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to go to a Catholic grade school. Not only did it give me a strong start in my education, but it also fostered a bond between my parish and my family and taught me to love my Catholic faith. I believe our Catholic schools are valuable and effective tools for nurturing faith in families and in children. Unlike state-run schools, our school helps educate the whole child: intellectual, spiritual, and moral. Standards set and achieved by Catholic schools are well known and highly respected. The high quality of instruction in our schools, innovative approaches to the use of the latest technology, and a challenging curriculum prepare our students for every educational and vocational challenge they will face as the years go by. Our Catholic schools also respect the role of parents and work in close collaboration with them.
While our parish does not have a school, some of our parishioners attend Holy Family School in Auburn or St. Anthony School in Renton. Our parish tries to assist these families, helping to make up the difference between in-parish and out-of-parish tuition. The cost per pupil in our Catholic schools is less than in the state-run schools. However, those state-run schools are supported by federal, state, and local taxes. It is our parents who make the sacrifice to be able to send their children to Catholic schools.
The Fulcrum Foundation tries to ensure that an excellent Catholic education is accessible to any family that wants it. You can support Catholic education through your donation to the parish. To further support Catholic education, consider a donation to Fulcrum: fulcrumfoundation.org/donate/ form/
January 24, 2024
New Women’s Commission
On Thursday January 4, we had an informational listening session on our proposed Women’s Commission. There were about 40 people who gathered.
Parish consultative bodies play a vital part in parish governance. Councils are mandated by a higher authority. Every parish must have a Finance Council, mandated by the Vatican. Every parish must also have a Pastoral Council (at St. John the Baptist, we call it a Parish Leadership Team) mandated by the Archdiocese. Commissions are determined at the parish level in response to the unique identity, needs, and circumstance of a parish community. “Commissions can be formed that are responsible for the development of strategic plans and policies for their specific ministry areas in response to the broad directions articulated by the pastor and parish pastoral council.” [1] The need for a Women’s Commission arose from our parish synod sessions that began two years ago. Our Parish Leadership Team not only provided to the Archdiocese a report on our parish synod sessions, but they also spent a considerable amount of time pondering what they heard from parishioners and formulated new parish priorities based on what they heard.
What I heard at the January 4 gathering was overall enthusiasm for the charter describing the role of the commission. (sjtbcc.org/go-ministries/stewardship-parish-ministries/) Additional ideas that surfaced were:
- the need for healing for the exclusion some women have felt;
- adding a special outreach and support for moms; and
- including a service component.
These were the things that stood out for me. Others were also taking notes, so that no idea would be lost. The next gathering for the Women’s Commission will be on Tuesday, February 6. To make this commission a reality, we will need parishioners to serve on the commission as well as parishioners to be engaged in some of the various committees or ministries supported by the commission. (Parishioners can only serve on one council or commission at a time but can serve on as many committees as they like.)
Last week, in John’s Gospel, Jesus invited his first apostles to “Come and see.” If the notion of a women’s commission sparks an interest, a hope, a desire, or just curiosity, I invite you to come and see. For more information, contact Kathy Wickward at kathyw@sjtbcc.org.
[1] Many Gifts: Consultative Leadership, Page 15
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