PARISH HISTORY

Our Parish History

In the late 1880’s the Snoqualmie Valley was part of the Snohomish Parish whose boundaries extended from Snohomish to the summit of Snoqualmie Pass. About once a month a priest from Snohomish would travel up the Snoqualmie River, stopping at Monroe, Duvall, Tolt (Carnation), and continuing on to the communities of Snoqualmie and Issaquah. Catholics in Duvall first gathered at the Dougherty Farmstead for worship.

In 1913, when Monroe became a parish, the communities of Duvall and Tolt were included in its boundaries.

By August of 1913 the schoolhouse was no longer adequate, and so began the building of a new church at Stella Street and Broadway Avenue NE. Through the hard work and dedication of volunteers, Holy Innocents Church opened her doors for Mass on Palm Sunday, April 5, 1914. Mass was celebrated at least once a month. When the priest was absent, parishioners educated their own children and would gather in homes to recite the rosary or socialize.

Holy Innocents became a mission under St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Monroe from 1913 until 1949 when it became a mission of St. Brendan Parish (based in Bothell), during which time it was often served by the priests and seminarians of St. Edward Seminary (in Kenmore, east of Bothell). The community fundraised to purchase items needed for the ill-equipped church. The Holy Innocents women raised money with “Silver Teas” and bazaars held in their homes.

In 1961, the Holy Innocents church building (at Stella and Broadway in Duvall) was elevated to add a basement.

In 1977 the boundaries of the mission church were redrawn again, and Holy Innocents Church became part of the parish of St. Mary in Monroe.

By 1989 the need for a larger social hall and additional classrooms at Holy Innocents became pressing. When all the costs were established, it appeared that Holy Innocents' community could not afford the kind of building they needed so desperately. It was with much concern from the Archdiocesan Chancery that permission was granted anyway. Once again, the people of Duvall pulled together to get the building completed.

In July of 1991 Holy Innocents became part of the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Snoqualmie, Washington, which also included the mission of St. Anthony Church in Carnation.

In 2004, Holy Innocents was made a parish with Father David Rogerson as its pastor. Father Rogerson was also appointed pastor of St. Jude Church in Redmond.

In the 1980’s, the Archdiocese had acquired the Dougherty Property on the north of the City of Duvall as a future building site for a larger Holy Innocents Church. In 1999 the Archdiocese gave permission for Holy Innocents to begin the fundraising process.

After many years of planning and fundraising, the ground breaking ceremony was held at the end of May in 2004. The historic church on Stella Street was sold in August 2004 to Adventure Community Church and Holy Innocents moved to its office temporarily to the Duvall Plaza building. Meanwhile, parishioners held Mass at Cherry Valley Elementary School, located across from the new church site at 26526 NE Cherry Valley Road.

In September of 2005, the first Mass was held at new church on Cherry Valley Road with peripheral parts of the building still under construction. Archbishop Brunett dedicated the new building on January 14, 2006. The spacious new church won a local and international masonry building award (2007) as Best Building of the Year.

The steeple, bell, and cross from the original church at Stella and Broadway were preserved and erected at the entrance of the church as a reminder of a long history of service to the Duvall Catholic community. Construction and internal additions continued for several years. Parishioners donated funds for the Stations of the Cross, the large crucifix hanging above the altar, and stained glass windows in the clerestory. Several gardens were established around the grounds. Landscaping was lovingly cared for by volunteer gardeners and the lawns maintained by volunteer “Holy Mowers”. A meditation garden in the shape of the Celtic Trinity was added, viewable from the church altar. In 2014, three Eagle Scout projects enhanced the grounds: a gazebo, the Mary Garden, and the garden around the entrance cross. Raised garden beds were erected to grow food for an ongoing pantry outreach program.