Dear Friends in Christ, One of the things you will probably notice in the next week or so is the various advertisements encouraging us to prepare to go “Back to School!” I like the one that shows two parents happily preparing their kids to return to classes while the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” plays in the background. Planning ahead to resume learning opportunities also applies to our Catholic lives. Continue reading...

Discover how you can make a lasting impact on our Church’s mission through planned giving. This informative webinar will guide you through the various ways you can support our community and ensure the future of our faith. Continue reading...

We invite you to sign up for OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) and OCIC (Order of Christian Initiation of Children)! These programs are designed for individuals seeking to fully enter the Catholic Church through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. Continue reading...

Dear Friends in Christ, My family commemorates two things in July, the first being the death of our father, Irv, on July 3, 2013. The more recent commemoration for us is the first anniversary of our mom Patty’s death on July 17th, 2024. As both are buried at Holyrood Cemetery, July affords us the opportunity to visit their graves and remember them as not only our parents, but as people. Continue reading...

Dear Friends in Christ, One of the acclamations we offer in the Eucharistic prayer of the Mass goes like this: "We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again." This is a poignant reminder of a mystery that is a regular part of our human experience. That suffering and death are part of life, but God will always bring forth new life from these harsh realities. This is no abstraction but a part of everyday people’s lives. Continue reading...

Do you have a love for the Catholic faith and a desire to share it with others? The OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) team is looking for individuals who feel called to help guide those seeking to become Catholic or complete their sacraments. This is a beautiful opportunity to teach, witness, and walk alongside others as they grow in their relationship with Christ and His Church. Continue reading...

Seniors, you’re warmly invited to a special Bingo Coffee Hour on Wednesday, July 16, at 11 AM at Assumption, in the Fellowship Hall. Come for coffee, treats, conversation, and a few fun rounds of Bingo. All are welcome!

Dear Friends in Christ, In July 2024, the Archdiocese of Seattle formed 60 parish families from 136 parishes. This was a milestone in the Partners of the Gospel strategic pastoral planning process focused on reenvisioning parish life. As a parish family, we have begun asking ourselves: How can we look at the resources we have – people, properties, finances – and use them to support the mission of Jesus Christ: to go make disciples? Continue reading...

In mid-June, twenty-five NESCC parishioners met at St. Catherine’s Victoria Hall to develop a common mission statement for our parish family’s Social Justice Ministry. Led by four coordinators, one from each parish, the group also celebrated the many ways during the 24-25 years where there has been advocacy, service, and education related to our Catholic Social Principles. Continue reading...

The Climate Justice Committee of St. Joseph Parish in Seattle welcomes you to a Novena to St. Kateri Tekakwitha! St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1690) was the first person of the North American First Nations to be named a saint by the Catholic Church. She was canonized on October 21, 2012. St. Kateri Tekakwitha, along with St. Francis of Assisi, is a patron of the environment. Continue reading...

Dear Friends in Christ, Tuesday, July 1, will mark the one-year anniversary of our coming together as a family of parishes in the “Partners in the Gospel” plan to renew Catholic life in Western Washington. We will complete the first year of a three-year process, eventually becoming one canonical parish in NE Seattle. Next week, I will reflect on some of the highlights of this first year, but for now, let me offer some thoughts about our main ministry, which is to gather for the celebration of the Eucharist every week.

Looking for a fun and meaningful summer project with your kids? Help support our neighbors in need by making sandwiches or hard-boiled eggs for St. Francis House! Here’s how to help: Please wash hands before preparing food. Use inexpensive bread and fillings like lunch meat, cheese, tuna, peanut butter & jelly. No need to add mayo or mustard. Wrap each sandwich in a baggie, then place back in the original bread bag. We’re also grateful for donations of hard-boiled eggs, Cutie oranges, bananas, small apples, and cheese sticks. Every weekday, St. Francis House serves over 150 people, and your generosity makes a real impact! NEW Drop-off Times: St. Bridget: Mondays, 1–2 PM Our Lady of the Lake (OLL): Thursdays, 9 AM Donors from Assumption and St. Catherine parishes, please bring your donations to either St. Bridget or OLL. Questions? Contact Mary Jo Gasparich at maryjogasparich@gmail.com or Maria DeSouza at mpdesouza@gmail.com. Thank you for sharing your hearts—and sandwiches—this summer!

Join YCP Seattle and Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.—author, evangelist, EWTN host, and Promoter General of the Holy Rosary—for a powerful evening of reflection and renewal. Discover how Marian devotion rewires the soul for deeper friendship with Jesus in this special Executive Speaker Series. In this inspiring Marian Talk, you’ll learn how the Rosary is intimately connected to the virtue of hope—a true Christian measure of resilience. Date: Monday, July 14 at 7:00 PM Location: St. Monica Catholic Church 4311 88th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040

You're warmly invited to join us on Wednesday, July 9, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Bridget’s for our Social Seniors gathering. Come enjoy a relaxed morning of coffee, conversation, and community—plus cookies and treats to share! Whether you're a regular or a first-timer, all are welcome to connect, laugh, and enjoy good company. We’d love to see you there!

Dear Friends in Christ, Let me start by thanking you from the bottom of my heart for your kind greetings and gifts as I celebrated my 70th birthday this past Tuesday, June 17. Your thoughtfulness means the world to me… as do all of you. I am particularly grateful for sharing this time in my life and ministry with all of you in our NE Seattle Catholic Community. Best I know at this point, I will retire after my time serving you concludes. Here’s to several more years of collaboration! Continue reading...

How can you help? We invite you to sign up to cook or buy items and drop off at Santos Place or help set up and work the buffet or both! When: Sunday, 6/22. We will host the dinner from 5:15 to 6:30. DROP OFF food from 4:55-5 and SERVERS should plan to be there from 5-6:30 to help set up, work the buffet, and clean up. Santos Place 6940 62nd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115 - kitchen/dining space is in the basement. Please use the lower entrance closest to the baseball fields.

A St. Vincent de Paul Donor Appreciation Event was held on Saturday, June 7th, at St. Catherine Victoria Hall. This was to thank our donors from all four parishes for their financial contributions to SVdP. There was good attendance, good food, and good fellowship. There were 12 SVdP trivia questions to challenge the attendees, and several people got 11 answers correct. Bravo! Sincere thanks to all our SVdP donors, and sincere thanks to the students and families of our three parish schools who provide donations of food and personal hygiene items for our pantries.

We’ve noticed an increase in car seats being left in the narthex for our PREPARE and St. Francis House collections. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept car seat donations at this time. If you have left a car seat at St. Bridget’s, please come by to retrieve it as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Sign up for Tent City 4 Suppers on June 22 and July 27 Our NE Seattle Catholic Community of parishes will provide supper for 70 adults and children at Tent City 4 at their new site, 12531 28th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98125 (next to the Lake City Library), on Sunday, June 22, and Sunday, July 27. Please deliver food, beverages, and paper products between 5:00 and 5:30 PM. The site is just north of the Lake City Library on the old Lake City Community Center site—parking on 28th Ave. NE is accessible in front of Tent City. Sign Up Genius link to sign up to provide an ingredient for the meal. Continue reading...

Extra Extra - Read all about it! Pick up the first edition of the Social Justice Ministry Newsletter at the back of church, near the bulletins. Read the summer edition for info on how our NESCC community is actively caring for those in need. Also book suggestions and travel tips to keep social justice in mind this summer.