Father Maurer's blog

A photo of coffee in a glass mug on a rustic wooden table in Copenhagen, Denmark

Weekly pastor’s post (September 27 – October 3)

Oct 3, 2026 | 1 Comment

This week we celebrated both the archangels (Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael) and the guardian angels. Hidden within the Roman Missal is a neat Easter egg: the same Eucharistic Preface is used for both! As I was offering that preface for the second time this week on Friday, it struck me that our earthly prayer reflects a heavenly reality: that there is a heirarchy in heaven (archangels being higher than angels) and yet still equality among the communion of saints. We venerate Mary as the highest of saints (hyperdulia) while also holding that even the lowest of saints enjoys and glories in equal unity & communion with God. In short, we're not playing some kind of zero-sum game, where every gain that one person makes means loss for another....

Scaffolding in front of an altar and tabernacle in Santa Maria Ausiliatrice

Mass schedule changes at Parish Family 49

Sep 8, 2026 | 2 Comments

This weekend, I introduced upcoming Mass schedule changes within our parish family, to take effect this Advent - the weekend of November 28th & 29th. This is the third major shift in weekend Mass schedules across our parish family - a major consultative effort before Partners in the Gospel took effect and a revised schedule (revolving around vigil Masses) six months later. After nearly two and a half years, we come to the changes announced before Masses this last weekend (click here to read the announcement) and more fully laid out in the pastor's insert in the bulletin (click here to read the bulletin insert). These changes reflect multiple pastoral considerations, not only encompassing current realities but also setting us up for the...

Weekly pastor’s post (August 30 – September 5)

Sep 4, 2026 | 2 Comments

As we continue through Partners in the Gospel, it is tempting to focus ourselves on things that are difficult about the necessary changes we're discerning and implementing. Though the devil would have us believe that our struggles and sacrifices are in vain, the Holy Spirit is on the move, providing blessings seen and unseen! I'd like to share about a particularly powerful blessing here. On the last Friday of May, Father Wichert - a dear friend and member of my priest support group - sent us an urgent text message: his mother, suffering from cancer, had just gotten news that she had just days or maybe even only hours left. He is pastor of Parish Family 9 (Saint Brendan in Bothell & Saint Teresa of Calcutta in Woodinville) and was feeling...

Weekly pastor’s post (August 16 – 22)

Aug 22, 2026 | 2 Comments

A brief pastor's post this week - posted at the 11th hour (quite literally!), no less. Reflecting on the week before it closes, I find myself especially grateful for two different forms of fraternity: with my brother priests and with the staff & clergy of our parish family. This last Monday I gathered with my Jesu Caritas group - our priest support group - for Mass, a holy hour together, breakfast in town, and our monthly check in.... along with the usual kibitzing and catching up that happens when friends get together! And this is something that need not be exclusive to priests: any group of faithful and faith-filled friends could do this. Oftentimes, when folks ask for spiritual direction, what they're really seeking is spiritual...

Surrounded by a crown of thorns with fire & a cross above it and rays extending outward from every side, the Sacred Heart of Jesus is pierced by a spear, with blood flowing out, against a tan background

First Friday devotions in (the central region of) Parish Family 49

Aug 20, 2026 | 0 Comments

In May of this year, Archbishop Etienne wrote a pastoral letter to the archdiocese: "Learn from Me for I Am Meek and Humble of Heart". It is a lovely letter, particularly in pointing not only to the heart of Jesus but also opening his own heart to us, his flock. I was touched by his sharing of his family practices of faith during his childhood and his own devotion to the heart of Jesus. It is towards the end of his letter that the archbishop offered a particular exhortation to us all to embrace a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for clergy to lead by example in drawing from the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, for parishes and all the faithful "to reclaim the First Friday devotion, rooted in participation at Mass and reception of holy...

Weekly pastor’s post (August 2 – 8)

Aug 6, 2026 | 1 Comment

I must admit that with the necessary recovery time afterwards, I am sometimes tempted to wonder if time away is actually worth it. Perhaps this is part of why the Church encourages us to undertake a daily examin at the end of each day - not only to regularly consider where we are need of God's mercy, but also to regularly rejoice with Him in how His graces have touched us. I won't say I wrote my Ignite NW 2026 daily reports for that purpose (check them out - parts one, two, and three, with a final reflection probably coming soon!), but reflecting on God's grace during that time away is a reminder that there are often a plethora of graces that come from a chance of pace, environment, and even people! One wonders: bed.... or medieval...

Ignite NW 2026 – Days 3, 4, & 5

Jul 31, 2026 | 1 Comment

For those who have been following along, thank you for your patience with my not-so-daily (nor even the same week!) updates on Ignite NW. Though posted a whole five days after I returned home, I am happy to share about the last half of this year's youth conference from my notes on each day. Day 3 (Friday, July 24) In a way, today is when the conference hits its stride. With two days under our belt, the daily routine is pretty well established - and it doesn't hurt that the Friday schedule pretty much mirrors the day before. We gathered for Mass at the chapel of Christ the Teacher, with Father Nathaniel Maria, OP presiding and Father Ben Bray preaching. Catholics of the Archdiocese of Seattle may recognize one or both names - Father Maria,...

Ignite NW 2026 – Days 1 & 2

Jul 24, 2026 | 2 Comments

Okay, so maybe setting myself up to daily blog about Ignite NW wasn't as realistic as I initially thought - but here we go nonetheless! Despite the publication date, this post is a reflection on the first (half) day of the youth conference (Wednesday) and the first whole day (Thursday). Day 1 (Wednesday, July 22) As the leader of the greenshirts (the volunteer core of this whole thing) put it, 'enjoy breakfast today - it's going to be the only meal you'll have in peace for the rest of the week!' Indeed, the morning of Wednesday was a kind of calm before the storm - though a calm filled with excited anticipatory energy more than anything else. I sat with Sister Solanus Casey(here's a neat EWTN article about her and a few other religious...

Ignite NW 2026 – Day 0

Jul 22, 2026 | 0 Comments

As many of you know, I am away this week to join our youth and youth leaders for the annual Ignite NW youth conference. This is the fourth or fifth time I've gone, but only the second time I've gone while pastor of Parish Family 49 - and since the conference moved out of Saint Martin's Abbey (and away from our archdiocese 😕) to the University of Portland. Today (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) - the prep day - was fairly low-key for me. In truth, I thought the conference started this afternoon - I had mis-entered the conference start date in my calendar and assumed that our own youth group would meet me around noon at the University of Portland. I only realized my mistake when I received a text from one of our leaders: "see you...

Weekly pastor’s post (June 28 – July 4)

Jun 29, 2026 | 0 Comments

Last week I joined my brother priests and the bishops of our archdiocese down in Ocean Shores for our annual priest convocation or 'Priest Days'. For about three days, we come together for prayer, presentations, and fellowship. Spread apart as we are in our archdiocese - from the border of Canada to the border of Oregon! - this is, for the majority of us, the only occasion we have to be together, catch up after a year apart, and get to know priests new to the archdiocese (or just new to us!). Just the most lovely greeting from Sacred Heart Radio as we drove into Aberdeen! This is also the second year of Partners in the Gospel, which has been a challenging one for every Catholic in our archdiocese - but especially so (I would assert) for...