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Contents of the Parish GuideThe Parish Guide is your "one-stop shop" for a wealth of information about St. Therese Parish. We try to keep the Guide as up to date as possible for your convenience and assistance. If you'd like to offer corrections or additions to the Parish Guide, please contact the Parish Center!
Mission StatementSaint Therese Parish is a Catholic Christian community of faith, rooted in the Gospel of Jesus, committed to nurturing spiritual growth and faith renewal of all who find in us a spiritual home. Our spirituality flows into and is deepened by the creative celebration of weekend Eucharist. Called to be Eucharist in the world, we will bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into the greater community through our daily actions, remaining always open to service with the poor and to taking risks for social justice. We will treasure and tend our spiritual values and traditions and will pass them along to our children. Supporting education and faith formation at all levels, we will especially affirm our commitment to our parish school. We will celebrate our diverse membership, acknowledging unique gifts, talents, and needs, welcoming all people with a Christ-like inclusiveness. Energized by our baptismal call to ministry, we will undertake the development of strong lay leadership. We will honor our tradition of dialog and prayerful discernment in matters which confront our faith, our parish, and our society. We will maintain an intelligently structured stewardship of our spiritual, financial, material, and human resources. Worship and SacramentsMasses and EucharistNote for Easter: Please see the Home Page of this web site for information about our Holy Week and Easter Triduum events The center of our parish life is the weekend liturgies. Each Mass is enriched by contributions of many persons: the Liturgy Committee, the choirs, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, greeters, bread bakers, lay presiders, etc. If you would like to participate in any of these roles, contact the Mary Lou Colasurdo. Weekend Mass times are: Saturday, 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Weekday Mass times are: Tuesdays,at 5:30 p.m. in the church; and the first and third Wednesdays of the month, 11:00 a.m.at Park Shore Retirement Community (1630 43rd Avenue E.) We also have a Communion Service on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Center. Saturday 5:00 p.m.A small and friendly community of parishioners attend this Mass. They are
diverse in age and ethnicity, with a contemplative style of music and worship.
Music is led by a cantor and pianist. Sunday 9:00 a.m. (St. Therese Choir)Attendance at this Mass includes a higher percentage of young families, though the ages range from one week to 90+ years old. The St. Therese Choir is led by Mark Richards-Wetzel. This four-part (soprano/alto/tenor/bass) choir offers a large range of worship music. The compositions range from the 15th to 20th century and vary between traditional hymns to gospel, folk and pop. A coffee hour follows the Mass. Sunday 11:00 a.m. Shades of Praise Gospel ChoirAttendance at the 11:00 a.m. Mass is high, often with standing room only. So please plan on arriving early in order to get a seat! It's an ethnically diverse community with a wide age range. The Shades of Praise Gospel Choir, directed by Kent Stevenson, sings at this Mass. A coffee hour follows the Mass. Sunday 5:00 p.m.The Sunday afternoon liturgy is
similar to the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. The Jubilation Gospel Choir, also directed
by Kent Stevenson, provides
exciting and energizing music. A social hour follows the Mass. Access to St. Therese for MassSt. Therese is wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices are available upon request before Masses. To ease traffic congestion, we encourage vehicles to enter 35th Avenue from the south and exit the area to the north. Weekday MassesSee Masses and Eucharist above. Weekly Communion ServiceSee Masses and Eucharist above. Weekly RosaryThe Rosary for Peace is prayed on Tuesdays in the church at 6:00 p.m., following 5:30 p.m. Mass. First EucharistChildren in second grade or older are invited to celebrate First Eucharist. Each year, First Eucharist is scheduled during the Easter season. Please contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation, to enroll your child. First ReconciliationChildren in the fourth grade or older celebrate their First Reconciliation. Please call Nicole St. Hilaire, Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation, for information about preparation sessions for parents and children. ReconciliationThe Sacrament of Reconciliation is available for individuals on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. before Mass, or at other times by appointment. St. Therese Parish also celebrates communal Reconciliation services during Advent and Lent. Infant BaptismSt. Therese Parish celebrates baptism for infants as a community on a quarterly basis. The current schedule is as follows:
Please call Nicole St. Hilaire, Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation, to register. We encourage parents to attend the preparation sessions during pregnancy if possible. MarriageCouples who want to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage at St. Therese need to contact Mary Lou Colasurdo, Pastoral Associate, Liturgy and Initiation, at least eight months in advance of the wedding. Blessing of an Existing Marriage or Annulment of a Prior MarriageCatholics who, for whatever reason, were not married in the Church, or who are divorced and remarried, may pursue a blessing of an existing marriage or an annulment of a prior marriage. Please contact Mary Lou Colasurdo, Pastoral Associate, Liturgy and Initiation, to work with a trained marriage or annulment advocate. Initiation for AdultsInitiation (formerly Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults" or "RCIA") is a faith-formation process for adults considering becoming Catholic. The program is for adults never baptized, Catholic adults seeking Confirmation, or members of other Christian denominations. Preparation classes begin periodically throughout the year. Please contact Mary Lou Colasurdo, Pastoral Associate, Liturgy and Initiation, for further information. Inquiry meetings are Mondays at 7 p.m. in the Parish Center. ConfirmationHigh school juniors and seniors who are interested in receiving the sacrament of Confirmation should contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation, for more information. Pastoral CareThe St. Therese Pastoral Care Team of parishioners insures that the homebound receive Eucharist, and that the sick are visited at home and in the hospital. It also supports an active prayer chain for the prayer requests of parishioners and offers rides to Mass. The names of family members and friends who are ill may be written in the Parish Book of Prayers, kept in the Reservation Chapel of the church. Those listed in the book are remembered at all Masses. For more information, contact the Parish Secretary at (206) 325-2711, ext. 10. Here are some specific Pastoral Care activities and sacraments, and contact information:
Selected Recent HomiliesTranscripts of selected recent homilies by Fr. Jim Harbaugh, S.J., are available on this site. Printed transcripts are also available at the back of the church. Parish Center3416 East Marion Street (See
map) Office hours are weekdays, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The former rectory, at the comer of East Marion Street and 35th Avenue, houses the offices of the parish staff. Parish business and social functions are held here. Wednesday morning Communion Service is celebrated here at 9:00 a.m.
Recent Former Pastor - Fr. Jim Harbaugh, S.J. Current email ID for Fr. Jim Harbaugh: jimharb45@yahoo.com Previous Former Pastor - Fr. Paul Magnano Parish Pastoral CouncilThe Parish Pastoral Council at St. Therese serves as
a consultative body to the Pastor and meets monthly with Fr. Okumu.
Parish Finance CouncilThe Parish Finance Council at St. Therese advises the Pastor on Parish finances. A copy of the St. Therese Parish 2007 Financial Annual Report, the most recent annual financial report for the parish, is available in Adobe PDF format. (Click here to learn about Adobe Reader.) Faith FormationFaith Formation is a priority at St. Therese. For information on our Faith Formation programs, contact:
Teen Faith FormationOur Jr. High and high school youth meet Sunday evening for Confirmation instruction and teen activities. The Jr. High will meet at 4:00 p.m. and the Sr. high will meet at 6:00 p.m. Contact J. K. Burwell at(206) 324-1451 or email jaegerburwell@msn.com. Music at St. ThereseMusic at the 5:00 p.m. Saturday Mass is led by a cantor and piano accompaniment. In addition, three distinctive choirs are active at St. Therese for the Masses on Sundays. Mark Richards-Wetzel is the director of the St. Therese Choir, which sings at the Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass. The choir is accompanied by piano, and often with guitar and woodwind as well. The St. Therese Choir rehearses on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Those interested in joining are always welcome. Kent Stevenson directs both the Shades of Praise Gospel Choir at the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and the Jubilation Gospel Choir at the 5:00 p.m. Sunday Mass. The Shades of Praise choir receives invitations to sing throughout the Seattle area, and auditions new members in late summer. Contact the Parish Center to learn more about joining any of our dynamic choirs! Parish MembershipIf you wish to become a member of the parish, please fill out a registration form and return it to the Parish Center. The forms are available in the north vestibule of the church. Publications[This is a place holder for possible future Parish publications, though none are currently planned.] St. Therese SchoolFounded in 1927, St. Therese School has approximately 160 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The mission of the school is to educate each student to his or her potential in an environment of Christian values and Catholic beliefs, through a cooperative effort of teachers, students and parents. For enrollment information or to volunteer your talents, contact Mrs. Eileen Gray. The Web site for St. Therese School is: http://www.stthereseseattle.org/
Financial StewardshipSt. Therese is committed to being a parish which practices Stewardship. Each fall, we ask parish members to consider giving over the year an amount which is proportionate, planned, and sacrificial. We ask members to pledge an amount which represents 10% of their income, of which they would give half in the weekly offering and half to charities and projects of their choice. Every registered parishioner receives information about our Stewardship Program and a pledge card. For your convenience, weekly offering envelopes are provided to registered parishioners. Social OutreachCALIXAn organization of Catholics concerned with alcoholism and addictions. CALIX meets the first Saturday of the month in the parish center. You are invited to meet at the 5:00 p.m. Mass, Saturday, September 1 and attend a potluck dinner and meeting afterward. For more details, please call Bob Fuller, (206)328-7821. Newcomers are always welcome. Chiapas Sister Parish MinistrySmall groups of parishioners have traveled periodically to our sister parish in Chiapas, Mexico since 1998. St. Therese parishioners most recently visited with our Chiapas sisters and brothers in the Spring of 2007. And members of our Sister Parish have also visited St. Therese Parish. The Sister Parish: Chiapas page has links to the Sister Parish Committee Mission Statement, as well as to e-mail and articles by Fr. Pepe and Fr. Eugenio Maurer. There are also transcriptions of Homilies and Reflections by Chiapas Delegation members from several years ago. The Chiapas Sister Parish Ministry sometimes compiles an online photo album after periodic visits to Chiapas by the sister parish delegations. Co-chairs of the Sister Parish Ministry are Rose Hesselbrock and Bernard Koontz. To volunteer for the Sister Parish Ministry, contact the Parish Center. Homelessness MinistryA group of parishioners organizes efforts to reach out to the homeless in a variety of ways, including hosting an overnight shelter in our church three nights a week from October through March. We have some detailed information available to explain how our overnight winter shelter program works. To volunteer, contact Brian Mack at (206) 760-2282 or write: mack442@juno.com Social Justice CommissionThe Social Justice Commission exists to act as leaven for the St. Therese Parish in becoming a more just community and a community for justice. Its role includes the following intentions:
The Social Justice Commission page includes links to several articles and brochures with more information on the Commission and its work, including its 2004 "Faithful Citizenship" program. St. Vincent de Paul SocietyFor Emergency Financial Assistance with food, rent, utilities, etc., call the Central Office of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at (206) 767-6449 on weekdays, 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-3:00 p.m. Information taken at that number will be relayed to volunteers in the parish who will make an appointment with you. The St. Therese Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society collects money after Masses on the third weekend of each month. The money is distributed to people in our area who ask for help with basic needs, such as food, housing, and utilities. The group meets monthly, and new members are always needed and welcomed. To offer help call the Parish Center. Web MinistryThe St. Therese Web ministry committee volunteers create, update and coordinate this parish Web site. Current volunteers include Nancy Buckland, John Scearce and Bill Warner. The committee welcomes any interested parishioner to join us. Professional computer experience is not required. The ability to periodically collect and organize text and photographic information about parish people and events is the most important skill. If you want to help, please call the Parish Center. or email webminister@saintthereseparish.org. Clubs and Social GroupsEXPLORING ETHNICITYThe Undoing Racism Committee and the Conversations on Race Book Club have merged into a new group named Exploring Ethnicity (through film, literature and conversation). The new group is interested in continued learning and awareness of the diversity of beliefs, mores and habits of people of the world, especially people of our country who are of many different cultures and faiths. Meetings usually are at 7 p.m. first Wednesdays of the month at the Parish Center. Everyone is welcome. For details contact Nicki Edson at nhedson@yahoo.com.
Ministry RegistrationThe St. Therese Mission Statement calls us to "maintain an intelligently structured stewardship of our spiritual, financial, material, and human resources". Please e-mail Nancy Buckland, Parish Administrative Assistant at nancyb@saintthereseparish.org, or call (206) 325-2711, ext. 10 for more detailed information regarding the many volunteer ministry opportunities available at St. Therese and to let us know about your specific skills.
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Last update: Monday, March 10, 2008 07:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time, by JPS.