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 Spirit!
This Saturday will see the rarest use of the Sacred Chrism: priestly ordination. Deacon Joseph Tapia-Beeman will be ordained by Archbishop Etienne at Saint James cathedral (10 am – all are welcome), with a great number of priests and lay faithful gathered in prayer and celebration. Let us pray for Deacon Tapia-Beeman, that as he is ordained to the order of the priesthood, he may faithfully carry out the teaching, sanctifying, and governing offices entrusted to him!
As he greeting our confirmandee at each Mass, Bishop Schuster remarked that the world often delights in bad news – especially against Christ and His Church. Happily, we know – and are reminded most wonderfully – that God is yet doing good work in our midst, across our archdiocese, and throughout the world. May He also abundantly bless you as we approach the birthday of the Church, that our Pentecost celebrations may continue to renew the us – and the world.
June 1 – In the archdiocese of Seattle, as in many dioceses in the United States, the solemnity of Ascension is moved from its traditional place of the 40th day of Easter to be celebrated on Sunday. On this day the Lord both ascended into heaven and promised to send His Spirit to the Apostles, commanding them to remain in Jerusalem until that time. Like them, we are invited to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, allowing God to transform us such that we are prepared like the Apostles to go into the world to proclaim the Gospel! Bishop Barron offers a lovely reflection on the significance of this day over at Word on Fire.
June 3 – To mark today’s memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions, the second reading of the Office of Readings is a selection of Pope Paul VI’s homily at the canonization of the martyrs of Uganda: “Who could have predicted to the famous African confessors and martyrs such as Cyprian, Felicity, Perpetua and—the greatest of all—Augustine, that we would one day add names so dear to us as Charles Lwanga and Matthias Mulumba Kalemba and their twenty companions? Nor must we forget those members of the Anglican Church who also died for the name of Christ. These African martyrs herald the dawn of a new age. If only the mind of man might be directed not toward persecutions and religious conflicts but toward a rebirth of Christianity and civilization! Africa has been washed by the blood of these latest martyrs, the first of this new age (and, God willing, let them be the last, although such a holocaust is precious indeed). Africa is reborn free and independent.” Saint Charles Lwanga and companions, pray for us! Read the whole excerpt at DivineOffice.org.
June 5 – Today’s saint, the patron saint of Germany, is known as ‘the Apostle to the Germans’. He was an English Benedictine monk who ended up giving up being abbot to dedicate himself to the conversion of the tribes of Germany. He was known as a reformer – most especially of clergy, who were uneducated, lazy, and disobedient. He was eventually made archbishop of Mainz (previous bishop to all of Germany) by Pope Gregory II. He was martyred in Frisia – along with 52 other believers. His remains were taken to Fulda, where he is venerated to this day. Given the struggles of the faith in Germany – both external and internal – may we especially plead for Saint Boniface’s intercession for the people and country where he poured out his life for the gospel! You may also enjoy this article from Catholic Answers on Saint Boniface’s part in establishing the tradition of Christmas trees.
June 7 – At 10 am this Saturday, June 7, clergy and lay faithful from around the archdiocese will gather at Saint James cathedral for the ordination Mass of (currently) Deacon Joseph Tapia-Beeman at the hands of Archbishop Etienne. He will be assigned to Parish Family 23 (Saint Anthony & Saint Stephen the Martyr parishes in Renton). We are looking forward to seeing how the Lord works through his priesthood! If you’d like to get to know him a little, archdiocesan Instagram page has a brief feature on him.
Priests celebrating their anniversaries this week
- Rev. Jack Buckalew (June 1, 1974)
- Rev. Dennis E. Robb (June 1, 1974)
- Rev. John R. Walmesley (June 1, 1974)
- Rev. Dominic Briese, O.P. (June 1, 1996)
- Rev. Maximiliano Muñoz (June 1, 2024)
- Rev. Kyle Rink (June 1, 2024)
- Rev. Thomas Selvaraj Anthony Muthu, H.G.N. (June 1, 2001)
- Rev. Thomas J. Suss (June 2, 1973)
- Rev. José Maria Ramírez Briseño (June 3, 2001)
- Rev. Chad S. Green (June 3, 2017)
- Rev. Christopher A. Hoiland (June 3, 2017)
- Rev. Jeffery H. Moore (June 3, 2017)
- Rev. Colin S. Parrish (June 3, 2017)
- Rev. Chuong Cao, C.Ss.R. (June 3, 2021)
- Rev. Sylvester Chanda (June 3, 2023)
- Rev. John Paul Tomassi (June 3, 2023)
- Rev. John T. Rashford, S.J. (June 5, 1971)
- Rev. Timothy J. Sauer (June 5, 1976)
- Rev. Paul M. Weckert, O.S.B. (June 5, 1999)
- Rev. Chrysostom Mijinke, O.P. (June 4, 2021)
- Rev. Simon Kim (June 6, 1998)
- Most Rev. Eusebio Elizondo, ordained Bishop (June 6, 2005)
- Rev. Eric J. Watson, S.J. (June 6, 2009)
- Rev. Thomas Tran (June 6, 2020)
- Rev. Seamus M. Laverty (June 7, 1968)
- Rev. David L. Mayovsky (June 7, 1997)
- Rev. Kurt W. Nagel (June 7, 1997)
- Rev. James W. Northrop (June 7, 1997)
- Rev. Thanh X. Dao (June 7, 2003)
- Rev. Timothy W. Ilgen (June 7, 2003)
- Rev. Matthew L. O’Leary (June 7, 2003)
- Rev. Marc L. Powell (June 7, 2003)
- Rev. Cal R. Christiansen (June 7, 2008)
- Rev. Mark A. Guzman (June 7, 2008)
- Rev. Jack Shrum (June 7, 2008)
- Rev. Vincent Phuc-Anh Duong, S.J. (June 7, 2014)
- Rev. Matthew T. Pyrc, S.J. (June 7, 2014)
Remembering our deceased priests
- Fr. Jose O. Aspiras (June 1, 2005)
- Fr. Charles Claessens (June 2, 1912)
- Fr. A. J. Shaughnessy (June 3, 1975)
- Fr. Ward B. Oakshott (June 5, 2017)
- Fr. Patrick Mulligan (June 6, 1977)
- Fr. Donald Conger (June 7, 1996)
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