Kathy Wickward

Partners in Gospel is a strategic pastoral planning effort taking place across the Archdiocese of Seattle to re-invigorate and renew our local Catholic Church. It will bring most parishes together into a new family structure with two or more parishes. The pastor, parish leaders and parishioners will determine how this new family will best join as one parish to carry out the mission of the Church.

The proposed draft for our parish family would include St. John the Baptist (Covington) and Holy Spirit (Kent).

Over 2000 pages of input has been submitted to the Archdiocese. Twenty readers will parse through the information and report on their findings. In January, we will find out if the proposed family is the same. In April, the Archdiocese will announce priest assignments to the new parish families. Thanks to all for your participation in our listening sessions. 

Archbishop Etienne has written a pastoral letter regarding Partners in the Gospel. He outlines the reasons behind restructuring our 136 parishes into 55 Parish Families and how each parish family can become one vibrant faith community.  It will be difficult work, but done in a spirit of hope and collaboration can renew parish life and bring us the joy of being partners in the Gospel.  To read his letter click on the button below.  

What does this mean for St. John the Baptist?

Over the next 4 years, we as a parish will be discerning how to combine our ministries and operations with one or more of our neighboring parishes. This will be a deliberate, prayerful process, guided by the Holy Spirit, under the direction of the pastor and an Archdiocesan liaison.

Partners in the Gospel Retreat

About 63 members of St. John the Baptist gathered on Saturday, June 10 under the leadership of Fr. Bill and Joan Williamson to consider the work of the Holy Spirit in the founding of our parish, in the history of the Archdiocese, and in the initiative of the Archbishop who is asking nearly all parishes to merge into parish families by July 2024.

Retreat participants watched a video regarding the founding and history of the Archdiocese of Seattle from the miniseries, The Chair, available for free viewing. Viewers can access the full video here: The Chair – Seattle, WA. (Please note: viewers must sign up for a free account in order to access the video).

Before lunch, Rose & Sam Racicot and Laura & Fred Sutton presented the parish history. After lunch, members of the parish leadership team, Bob Denney and Trish Hanson, presented the new parish priorities for feedback before they are officially adopted.

A video recording of the retreat will be forthcoming. The slide deck is available below.

June-10-2023-Retreat-Presentation-Updated-VersionDownload

St. John the Baptist Upcoming Timeline:

January 2024: Final parish family configurations announced

April 2024: Priest assignments to new parish families announced.

July 2024: Parish families become official and begin process of joining communities.

By 2027: Each parish family becomes one canonical parish

A New Phase of the Archdiocese of Seattle Strategic Plan

Click here to go to the Archdiocesan Partners Page

Q & A

A New Phase of the Archdiocese of Seattle Strategic Plan

Click here to go to the Archdiocesan Partners Page

Q & A

“It is not the task of the Pope to offer a detailed and complete analysis of contemporary reality, but to invite all the Church to grasp the signs of the times that the Lord continually offers us.” Pope Francis, 2014

Our current reality

174

Parishes, Missions and Stations

108

Pastors and Priest Administrators

11%

Decline in Mass Attendance since 2010

22%

Increase in operational costs from 2016

© Laura James. All Rights Reserved 2023 / Bridgeman Images

Current Reality Report

In June 2023, the Archdiocese of Seattle released a “Current Reality Report” providing data and context behind the reason Partners in the Gospel is needed. The report covers trends occurring from 2010-2019 around topics like Mass attendance and demographics as well as forecasts the state of the Archdiocese in the upcoming future. The full report can be accessed below. More information can be found at archseattle.org/partners.

Partners-CurrReality-minDownload

What does this mean for St. John the Baptist?

Over the next 4 years, we as a parish will be discerning how to combine our ministries and operations with one or more of our neighboring parishes. This will be a deliberate, prayerful process, guided by the Holy Spirit, under the direction of the pastor and an Archdiocesan liaison.

Partners in the Gospel Retreat

About 63 members of St. John the Baptist gathered on Saturday, June 10 under the leadership of Fr. Bill and Joan Williamson to consider the work of the Holy Spirit in the founding of our parish, in the history of the Archdiocese, and in the initiative of the Archbishop who is asking nearly all parishes to merge into parish families by July 2024.

Retreat participants watched a video regarding the founding and history of the Archdiocese of Seattle from the miniseries, The Chair, available for free viewing. Viewers can access the full video here: The Chair – Seattle, WA. (Please note: viewers must sign up for a free account in order to access the video).

Before lunch, Rose & Sam Racicot and Laura & Fred Sutton presented the parish history. After lunch, members of the parish leadership team, Bob Denney and Trish Hanson, presented the new parish priorities for feedback before they are officially adopted.

A video recording of the retreat will be forthcoming. The slide deck is available below.

June-10-2023-Retreat-Presentation-Updated-VersionDownload

Ash Wednesday is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics aged 18-59. The Norms of fasting permit Catholics to eat one full meal and two smaller meals that together would not make a full meal. Abstinence from meat is the norm for Catholics 14 and older.