Dear Friends in Christ,

Happy September to all! Over the next couple of months, we will focus on the 7 principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). The first teaching calls us to family and community, to participate in the social process of supporting and creating a better world for everyone. The foundation of our community is the family, the smaller group where we first learn to love and relate to others.  As we grow, we typically interact with larger groups and gain some level of social skill and understanding.  One of these larger groups is our family of parishes, or as we are presently known, the NE Seattle Catholic Community (NESCC).

While my family of origin will always hold the greatest place in my heart, there is a very special place there for all who belong to our NESCC.  Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who so generously offered prayers, cards, and gifts to Fr. Duc and me on the recent celebration of our 20th and 45th anniversaries of ordination. As I mentioned at Mass on August 29^th, it is a privilege and an honor for us to serve as your priests. This current assignment for me will most likely be my last as I prepare to eventually enter into senior priest status. Not ready for that just yet, so I look forward to our continued collaboration in the journey to become one faith community in NE Seattle. 

We had a glimpse of that at our Anniversary Mass Celebration. The worship space at OLL was full of people from all four of our parish communities. The music ministry for that Mass included members from all of our parishes who helped everyone present to participate in the Mass with a special spirit and vitality. My hope is that as we discern where and when we will eventually gather for Mass as a single parish, each liturgy will resemble that one. As we find more and more opportunities as the NESCC to come together for Mass, it is clear to me that we are stronger together than apart. May it be so!

Blessings of peace to families of all kinds everywhere!

Fr. William Heric, Pastor