Dear Friends in Christ,

This July marks the second anniversary of the Partners in the Gospel Plan to renew Catholic life by reforming our parish communities. Two years ago, we became the NE Seattle Catholic Community, a family made up of St. Catherine, Our Lady of the Lake, Assumption, and St. Bridget Parishes. While still separate in some ways, we have made slow but steady progress in combining resources as we journey to becoming one parish. The change has been difficult for some, myself included, and, like all good things, requires patience, perseverance, and trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to bear fruit. It also, at times, requires the sacrifice of personal preferences in the service of the common good. Archbishop Paul Etienne, in his letter to us this week, put it this way:

We have experienced the reality that change is hard and slow. It requires us to set aside our own personal desires and agendas to recognize the needs of the larger Catholic family. And herein lies the opportunity to go beyond our comfort zones – beyond “our Mass” or “our ministry” – to recognize that everything we have is a gift from God and that we are called to share what we have with others. What gifts, talents, opportunities, and more do our parishes have that can be combined and shared for the greater good? This is at the heart of our One Parish Planning process, which guides parish families as they work together to creatively re-imagine parish life as a new parish community.

This past year, we reflected on “Who are we as individual parishes?” The next two years, we will focus on the questions “Who do we want to become as a single parish community, and how do we get there?” I am grateful for the work of our Parish Family Advisory Council (PFAC), which is preparing opportunities this fall for us to gather to offer our thoughts about these questions. Please plan on attending one of these important community conversations.
I am also grateful for the collaboration of Fr. Duc, our parish staff, and the many of you who volunteer to serve in the various ministries our family of parishes offers. Thanks to all of you for the faith, hope, and love we share as a community. Let’s remain united in our life as the NE Seattle Catholic Community.

Blessings of peace,

Fr. William Heric, Pastor