Happy 4th of July! As we celebrate Independence Day here in the United States of America, may we thank the Lord for the many blessings He has bestowed on our land and her citizens. May the freedoms we so treasure and enjoy help us to use them wisely & well for our good and the good of the whole world. From today's Mass, we pray:Father of all nations and ages,we recall the day when our countryclaimed its place among the family of nations;for what has been achieved we give you thanks,for the work that still remains we ask your help,and as you have called us from many peoples to be one nation,grant that, under your providence,our country may share your blessingswith all the peoples of the earth.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who...

With the conclusion of the Easter season, the school year, and our faith formation programs (this Sunday - the solemnity of Corpus Christi - will also be our celebration of First Holy Communions in the central region), we finally enter into the summer season. There are a few key events that I especially appreciate of this time, particularly the ordination of priests (typically the second Saturday in June) and the annual priest convocation ('Priest Days') that is held each year in Ocean Shores. All in all, it is a lovely combination of celebrating the fruits of the last year and enjoying some much-longed-for downtime with friends & family!Of course, this quieter time in the life of our parish family is also a key time to plan for when...

It was with some sadness that I read the rubrics following the final prayer of Vespers this Sunday: "The Easter Season ends with the conclusion of Evening Prayer." While I am grateful - and not a little relieved! -  to enter into the normalcy of Ordinary Time, I found myself slightly deflated that we must now leave Easter season behind. Just the smallest taste of how the Apostles must have felt at Jesus' ascension, but it poked my heart nonetheless.Pentecost is not without its own fervor, of course. Though we have yet to explore its richness (next year, perchance?), the extended vigil of Pentecost is particularly powerful. I understand it as a kind of mini-Easter, with four readings from the Old Testament - each accompanied by a...

Last week and this feature two of the three sacraments at which is used the Sacred Chrism - recently blessed by Archbishop Etienne at the Chrism Mass before Holy Week. Over a three-day period, Bishop Schuster visited Saint Anne parish in Forks, Saint Joseph parish in Sequim, and Saint Mary Star of the Sea parish in Port Townsend to confirm youth and adults across all five of our communities. During his homily, he mentioned that between our three bishops, there have been around 3000 (!) confirmations celebrated across our archdiocese! We are delighted to join in that celebration with those of our parish family who have received this final sacrament of initiation - may the Lord bless them abundantly with the gifts and fruits of the Holy...

A late pastor's post - quite literally, what with this near-midnight publication - before Sunday starts. The highlight of this week was the Mass on Friday celebrating the election and inauguration of Pope Leo XIV. By happy chance, the Vatican Media released his official portrait - I must admit to being quite taken with this shot of our pontiff, and of His Holiness himself as we continue to get to know him. May the Lord continue to bless him - and us to support him with our prayers!Over the last two weeks we have celebrated three special Masses for Pope Francis and Pope Leo. This coming week we will have three special Masses, but for more ordinary needs: the celebration of the sacrament of confirmation for youth and adults across our...

Habemus papam! After commending Pope Francis to the Lord, we have occasion now to celebrate the election of our new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. And what a celebration it is, particularly for us who share his homeland of the United States! While we know that the pope is a man like any of us, the men occupying this office have always been not only physically but also culturally distant. Now we have a pope who is a White Sox fan, a Chicagoan, and - at least to see the Apple Watch on his wrist last week - quite possibly a bit of a technology geek to boot! Though it is has always been true, I find myself appreciating more fully the regular humanity of the pope.Image by Edgar Beltrán/The Pillar courtesy Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons...