I landed in Rome Wednesday, September 30. Visits to various Curia offices began the following morning and what a start it was! I was granted a private audience with Pope Leo XIV. In my 17 years as a bishop, this was the first time I have had such a privilege. Read more
Last year I was invited to join the Bishops Advisory Committee for the International Catholic Stewardship Council. For years they have sponsored an annual conference on Catholic stewardship, which has enjoyed a stellar reputation. I returned from this year’s conference in New Orleans last night and can confirm, this is Read more
Congratulations to St. Mary Catholic School in Aberdeen on this 100th anniversary! I’m told the school actually dates back even further as it started under a different name. I told the congregation that soon after I arrived as the archbishop of Seattle in 2019 I started hearing about this school Read more
Yesterday found me at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Vancouver for the installation of Fr. Jose Alvarez, the new pastor of this parish family, which includes Sacred Heart in Battle Ground, St. Joseph the Worker in Yacolt, St. Philip in Woodland and St. Mary of Guadalupe in Ridgefield. Approximately Read more
Last Thursday evening I enjoyed visiting the Vietnamese Sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross. We are blessed to have so many of these sisters serving in the Archdiocese of Seattle. They have three houses, one in Lakewood, where we gathered Thursday, one in Seatac and one in Kent. Read more
Today the Archdiocese of Seattle rejoices that 29 men in preparation for the Permanent Diaconate took a formal step in their formation process known as Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders. In essence, the Church publicly recognizes their resolve and commitment to continue formation towards ordination as Permanent Deacons. The Read more
The faith has been present in the San Juan Islands for generations. We can look back to our indigenous brothers and sisters in the faith, who welcomed the French-Canadian Missionaries from Quebec to the people of this region in the early 1800’s. On what is now the American side of Read more
On this cool, cloudy day approximately 3,000 Catholics gathered to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma. Approximately 30 priests and deacons concelebrated. These large liturgical gatherings are a powerful testimony of Fatih. I am extremely grateful to those who coordinated Read more
As the Archbishop of Seattle, I request your prayers for our city after yesterday’s shooting that took the lives of three individuals and left several others injured. You can learn more about the situation by reading this article from our Northwest Catholic Magazine. https://nwcatholic.org/news/northwest-catholic/archbishop-etienne-offers-prayers-for-seattle-center-shooting-victims-in-letter-to-mayor The article also carries the message Read more
It is hard to believe the month of July has nearly passed us by! This month has been far more engaging than normal, including a few unscheduled encounters. In early July we held an annual chancery BBQ for all our employees. We are so blessed with the dedicated people who Read more