St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

Where Stewardship is a Way of Life

Partners in the Gospel

Announcements / by

Our proposed parish family will be posted to this page at midnight, September 23. Meanwhile, be sure to sign up for an input session in October. You can use the form below: 

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.  

Partners in the Gospel letter from Archbishop Etienne - St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Covington, Wa.
Partners in the Gospel letter from Archbishop Etienne - St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Covington, Wa.

St. John the Baptist Upcoming Timeline:

September 23rd: Archdiocese announces all parish groupings at https://archseattle.org/partners/

October 2023: Parish wide consultation.

  • October 5: Parish councils and committees consulted
  • Oct. 11 at 7 pm, Oct. 12 at 10 am and 7 pm, Oct. 14 at 10 am and Oct. 15 at 3pm:  Parishwide consultation, register via the form above.
  • Childcare will be available at the evening sessions. Please check back here for the registration link.

January 2024: Final parish family configurations announced

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

By 2027: Each parish family becomes one canonical parish

Archbishop Etienne speaking about Partners in the Gospel

A New Phase of the Archdiocese of Seattle Strategic Plan

Click here to go to the Archdiocesan Partners Page

A New Phase of the Archdiocese of Seattle Strategic Plan

Click here to go to the Archdiocesan Partners Page

“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.

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.