Our 8th graders graduated last Wednesday, and it was a wonderful celebration. It is always a great joy to watch another class finish up there time here with such excitement for all that is to come in life. As always, it’s hard to watch them go but beautiful to see them so excited. I had a special connection to this class because they were the First Communion kids my first year here and I had the special grace of baptizing and confirming a good number of them at the Easter Vigil that year. I’m excited to watch them continue to grow.
The rest of our school community will be finishing this week, Friday is their last day and we will finish with Mass in the morning. Daily Mass goers pay special attention to the fact that school mass is on Friday instead of Thursday this week. Following that Mass we will transition into our summer schedule. The parish office will be open as always 9 am-3 pm and the rest of the time will be open by appointment only. Once Fr. Juan Carlos Zelaya is here, we may be shifting the daily mass schedule, but I want to talk with him a bit before we make any decisions. The last week of June and the first week of July I will be out on the parish pilgrimage. Fr Zelaya is not scheduled to be here yet and there is a real possibility that we won’t be able to find coverage for daily mass. Pay special attention the next couple of weeks to any announcements or messages about this.
Also, we will be doing some construction projects in the main church, in August, and during that time all masses and devotions will be moved to the chapel location on Cedar St. There will be more info to come to make sure to keep aware while you go on vacation or are out of town for other reasons. We are planning to put up the large crucifix, covering the mosaic and installing new doors that will be safer for emergency situations. We also will be doing some other maintenance and aesthetic projects. More information will be provided when it is available.
Prayers Always,
Fr. Joseph
Fr. Joseph
The 7th Graders received their blessing on Thursday as they become the leaders of Our Lady of Hope for the 2025-2026 school year!
The Archdiocese of Seattle will celebrate Ordination Mass this Saturday, June 7th. We will not offer 9 am morning Mass or confessions, since pastors and priests of the Diocese will be attending the Ordination Mass.
Deacon Dennis Gospel Notes
This weekend we are back in the Upper Room awaiting the Holy Spirit to burst forth for the followers of Jesus. This is an actual room in Jerusalem, outside the Old City Walls, and just above what is the Tomb of King David. It is the same room they were in for the Last Supper. But the mood found here this time is much different. Instead of being scared and hiding from Jewish authorities who condemned Jesus, they’ve since had a few visits from the Resurrected Jesus and all that Jesus said would happen is happening. The Advocate is an actual living thing and has manifested in powerful ways that leave the disciples both giddy (with excitement and wonder), and fearless about what lies ahead for each of them. In 2023, during my sabbatical, I traveled to the Holy Land. Our pilgrimage group was blessed to walk the path of Jesus and to see with our own eyes the places described in the Bible. The Cenacle (in Latin Cenaculum), the Upper Room, was one of those places. We visited there the afternoon before we retraced the footsteps of Jesus on the Via Dolorosa (at 4AM!). The room is just as it is pictured in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting — a big hall like room. It is a room big enough to house everyone comfortably, but too small to contain the Holy Spirit. I pray that you, too, meet the Advocate with both giddiness and fearlessness. Jesus is calling us to do more for the Church and for him. The Holy Spirit is the one who prompts our actions. May you be a disciple filled with the Spirit as you do your part to build up the Kingdom of God here on earth.
This weekend we are back in the Upper Room awaiting the Holy Spirit to burst forth for the followers of Jesus. This is an actual room in Jerusalem, outside the Old City Walls, and just above what is the Tomb of King David. It is the same room they were in for the Last Supper. But the mood found here this time is much different. Instead of being scared and hiding from Jewish authorities who condemned Jesus, they’ve since had a few visits from the Resurrected Jesus and all that Jesus said would happen is happening. The Advocate is an actual living thing and has manifested in powerful ways that leave the disciples both giddy (with excitement and wonder), and fearless about what lies ahead for each of them. In 2023, during my sabbatical, I traveled to the Holy Land. Our pilgrimage group was blessed to walk the path of Jesus and to see with our own eyes the places described in the Bible. The Cenacle (in Latin Cenaculum), the Upper Room, was one of those places. We visited there the afternoon before we retraced the footsteps of Jesus on the Via Dolorosa (at 4AM!). The room is just as it is pictured in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting — a big hall like room. It is a room big enough to house everyone comfortably, but too small to contain the Holy Spirit. I pray that you, too, meet the Advocate with both giddiness and fearlessness. Jesus is calling us to do more for the Church and for him. The Holy Spirit is the one who prompts our actions. May you be a disciple filled with the Spirit as you do your part to build up the Kingdom of God here on earth.
