Bob Jensen

Parish Library

Albert Einstein once said, “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” Our parish library is located at the south end of the
parish office. You can see it from the office lobby. It’s worth a visit!
Our parish library reflects the diversity of our community. We have books for beginners in the faith as well as for serious theological inquirers. We have books that would appeal to conservative parishioners and books that would interest liberal ones (and books that would probably challenge both).
There are books on prayer, books on spirituality, books on family life, books on scripture, and books on history and lives of the saints. There is something there for you!
Summer time is a great time to catch up on your reading. Visit our parish library and check out a book of two.

“Three key themes that emerged
were community, leadership, and
handing on the faith to the next
generation”
~Fr. Bill

For a Synodal Church

On October 9, 2021, Pope Francis began a two-year process of listening and dialoguing in the Church. The starting point was at the parish level. From January through March of 2022, 263 St. John the Baptist parishioners gathered in 21 parish synod sessions to share their experience of being Church. We submitted our parish report to the Archdiocese the first part of May. You can view the parish report from our webpage: sjtbcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ SJTB-Parish-Synod-Report-1.pdf. On June 30, the Archdiocese submitted its Synod Synthesis Report to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The synthesis report captures feedback from nearly 1,000 online and in-person gatherings, involving over 11,000 people across Western Washington. The report will now be included in a national synthesis process before a consolidated United States report is submitted to the Vatican for the October 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome.

Three key themes that emerged were community, leadership, and handing on the faith to the next generation.

• Community: Listening sessions revealed the importance of community. The value of parish communities, barriers to belonging, and the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people were key topics of discussion around Church communities as “a home, not an institution.”
• Leadership: Discussion focused on the role of Church leadership at the national level, the impact of the parish priest, models of leadership, the role of women, and concerns around both transparency and trust in the wake of the abuse crisis.
• Passing on the faith: One of the most prevalent themes centered on sharing the faith with future generations, with a focus on how youth are disconnected. Meanwhile, youth reported feeling judged and feel like they do not belong. To read the full ten-page report, please visit the Archdiocese of Seattle website org/wpcontent/ uploads/2022/06/Final-Synthesis-withappendix- min.pdf

Thank you to all who participated in our parish sessions and to those who served as facilitators and scribes.

“It is normal to grieve a pregnancy
loss, including the loss of a child by
abortion.” ~Fr. Bill

Are you searching for forgiveness and peace?

There are certain triggers that can cause reactions from past traumatic events. Many women experience trauma after an abortion. With abortion constantly in the news because of the Supreme Court’s decision last week, some who have had an abortion in the past may once again be experiencing the pain and anguish arising from that decision. It is normal to grieve a pregnancy loss, including the loss of a child by abortion. It can form a hole in one’s heart, a hole so deep that sometimes it seems nothing can fill the emptiness. The grief over an aborted child can cause physical, emotional, spiritual and relational damage. But healing is possible.

Project Rachel is a program of Catholic Community Services that offers a chance to share your grief in a safe atmosphere of acceptance and trust. They are able to refer you to trained priests for the Sacrament of Reconciliation or professional counselors if needed. They have a retreat program offering the path to forgiveness, healing and peace.

Call now for a confidential, compassionate conversation.

Angie, in English: (206) 920-6413
Alejandra, en Español: (206) 450-7814

E-mail: projectrachel@ccsww.org

Whether it’s been one year or 20+ years, you need time to grieve your loss and reflect on your feelings of sorrow and regret. There is a path to peace.