July 10, 2025
My dear Kirkland Catholics,
Today’s all parish weekly news is special. You will probably notice right away in terms of receiving this on Thursday (SJV’s newsletter was a Tuesday deal, and HFK’s was a Friday deal) and in terms of the temporary logo and new format. We are combining this weekly email not because we don’t have excellent communications people at both locations (thank you Ana and Gina!) but simply because this is strategically necessary (and an Archdiocesan requirement) for communications to come together over the next two years. Gina and Ana will work together on this project each week. The logo on this email will be temporary simply because when we become one parish in summer of 2027, we will have a new name (and eventual new official logo)! We also plan to combine the paper bulletins hopefully in an autumn timeframe.
Having now finished a first year together, I invite you to click here to see a summary of the highlights from this past year. Three moments most stick out to me about us beginning to come together as a parish family this past year.
The first was our joint Mass in September at the Saint Thomas chapel at Bastyr. It was a joyful coming together in a place that historically was so important to the whole diocese being the place of worship of all Archdiocesan seminarians in major seminary before serving as priests in our Archdiocese for generations, and then this site was also the home of Saint John Vianney parish and their Sunday worship until 1991.
The second was evening Mass for the Immaculate Conception. Wrongly our US Catholic Bishops (and everyone I know) was under the impression that when the Immaculate Conception falls on a Sunday (and thus gets moved to a Monday to preserve the second Sunday of Advent) that it is not observed by a Holy Day. The Vatican reached out this year and said “Nope, you are reading that wrong. It’s still a Holy Day.” On short notice and short of priests we only had one evening Mass that evening, which was at SJV; and it was PACKED; and almost equally represented between the two parishes. It was powerful.
The third was just a couple weeks back at the Mass for Marian Consecration. About 400 people with a good number from both parishes gathered as I consecrated our parishes to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and many people made their individual consecrations at the end of that Mass as well. I was speechless at the turnout and devotion.
Let’s continue to be grateful to the Lord for all the work He is doing in our lives and our parish family and be committed to doing all we can do individually to.
With love in Christ,
Fr. Brad