Announcements

The St. John’s Giving Tree is up and shining! This year, our goal is to provide Christmas joy to at least 50 families. Each family is invited to the St. John’s Christmas Giving Store, where the family can select gifts for their children, basic household items, a holiday meal and gas and grocery gift cards. How can you help? Please grab a tag or two from the Christmas Giving Tree table in the Narthex. Please return your unwrapped gift to the parish by Sunday, December 12.

For those who prefer to shop online and have gifts mailed directly to St. John the Baptist, we have created a St. John the Baptist 2021 Giving Tree Amazon wish list

Wish List

Monetary donations are also welcome. You can donate to the Giving Tree at the following link:  https://tinyurl.com/sjtbholidays Checks can be made payable to St John the Baptist and please note Christmas Giving Tree on your check.   In addition to supporting local families, we will also be supporting Pregnancy Aid. If you have any questions or are interested in helping with the Christmas Giving Tree, please contact Andrea Shimek at 206-890-1005 or makshimek@comcast.net

On December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Etienne is lifting the official dispensation from attending Mass in person, such that every Catholic is now expected to return to the practice of receiving Eucharist physically. There are still caveats: please do not come to Mass if you are sick with Covid, the flu, or other contagious illness. If you have significant health issues, are caring for someone with significant health issues, or are immunocompromised, you are also still dispensed from in-person attendance. As a parish, we are continuing to care for those who are concerned about infection. We will be providing at least one distanced section in the sanctuary and will continue to require mask wearing while indoors. We will also work to ensure excellent ventilation and air flow in the sanctuary.

Dispensation Video

Please read the Archbishop’s letter below.

Wednesday was first frost for most of us! You know what that means: we need to mobilize our winter de-icing crew. When the temperatures drop below freezing in the early mornings, we have ice and frost that builds up in the parking lot that does not melt in time for the 9 am Mass, making it very unsafe for most of us. Without a dedicated ministry, de-icing the parking lot has happened haphazardly at best. Are there a few strong local members/families willing to be on a winter rotation to check the weather on Sunday mornings, and, if it is icy, come spread the de-icer on our walkways and parking lot at 8 am? This will be a special ministry team that will only operate through mid-March. Please contact Kathy Wickward at 253-630-0701 x103 (office phone) if you can minister to St. John the Baptist in this way.