SEATTLE – After more than a year of strategic planning, St. Patrick Parish in Seattle will merge into St. Joseph Parish, effective September 1, 2022, Archbishop Paul D. Etienne has announced.
The change is part of the archdiocese’s most recent strategic planning process, which the archbishop began in 2020 in Tacoma, Everett and Seattle in an effort to revitalize faith communities amid declining Mass attendance and parishioner engagement in some parishes. Parish consolidations have already occurred this year in Tacoma, Everett and South Seattle.
“By bringing together communities and resources, we will better provide pastoral care for all of God’s people,” Archbishop Etienne said in a July 11 news release. “Strengthening our parish communities gives us great hope for the future and will enable them to more fully carry out the mission of the Church.”
Established in 1918, St. Patrick Parish is recognized for its outreach to the poor, social justice efforts, strong lay leadership and welcoming community. For many years, the parish has served the deaf, deaf/blind and L’Arche communities, offering ASL and other support for Masses, liturgies and other parish activities, the archdiocese said.
Since 1995, however, Mass attendance at St. Patrick’s has dropped 50%, from nearly 400 to less than 200 in 2018. In addition, St. Patrick’s is located near other parishes — some within walking distance of each other — while Catholics in other parts of the archdiocese must travel more than 45 minutes to reach their closest parish.
Although Seattle is growing, many parishes in the South Seattle area have experienced declines, with fewer parishioners attending Mass or participating in the sacraments, stewardship, faith formation or other parish life activities, the archdiocese said.
Archbishop Etienne said he accepted recommendations from the archdiocese’s Strategic Planning Committee and Presbyteral Council to make parish changes across the South Seattle deanery.
“We simply cannot continue with the status quo,” the archbishop said. “We want active, living parish communities that welcome young people and foster missionary disciples.”
Parishioners at St. Patrick participated in months of meetings to determine what parish they wanted to join, exploring options at St. Joseph as well as Sacred Heart Parish, before choosing St. Joseph, according to Archbishop Etienne’s letter to St. Patrick parishioners.
“I know the parishioners at St. Joseph are ready to welcome you so that together you can build a vibrant, thriving community that shares the joy and love of our Savior,” the archbishop wrote.
In a letter to St. Joseph parishioners, Archbishop Etienne thanked all those at St. Joseph’s who supported St. Patrick’s parishioners during their discernment process, taking the time to answer questions and explore options with them.
“With the grace of the Holy Spirit, these changes are designed to help us carry out the mission that Jesus originally gave to his 12 disciples — to go and share the good news,” Archbishop Etienne said. “We must be flexible in how we do this so that we can help others know Christ’s love.”
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