FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR

 May 8, 2026

ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL

During this Easter season when we celebrate renewal and new life, I would like to encourage you to support generously the 2026 Annual Catholic Appeal. The ministries the appeal supports brings renewal, light and hope to so many. Each of us has an important role to play building up the body of Christ, not only in our local parishes but also throughout the Archdiocese.

The Annual Catholic Appeal supports ministries we need to do as larger church in Western Washington but cannot do our own. It enables us to engage with our youth and young adults through campus ministry, CYO programs and ministerial training programs. It funds the recruiting and training of future priests, deacons and lay ministers. It helps to provide care for our brothers and sisters in our local hospitals and prisons. In addition to providing for more than 60 ministries throughout Western Washington, your Annual Catholic Appeal donation also funds shared services that we depend upon as a parish. We rely on many centralized services the Archdiocese provides, so that we can continue to focus on our pastoral work here at the parish.

Each of our parishes has a goal from the Archdiocese based on our size and income. The money we raise above our goal will come back to each of our churches to support a parish project. At St Jude, it is the recarpeting of the parish classrooms. At Holy Innocents, it is a new portable sound system for the Hall and outdoor events.  For St Anthony, is for church maintenance needs. The Appeal is a wonderful way to support the work of our Archdiocese and our parishes.



If you gave to the Appeal last year, I thank you for your generosity and ask you to consider taking a step in your giving by increasing your gift 5% this year. If you are not sure what to give, would you consider a gift the average gift in our churches which was about $625? Whatever you can pledge will make a big difference. Please pray about your gift and make your pledge either online at Annual Catholic Appeal 2026 - Archdiocese of Seattle or by using the envelope in the pews. Thank you for your generosity! I am so grateful for all the many ways you live out your faith and build up our Church.

POPE LEO’S HOMILY IN ANCIENT HIPPO – 2^ND PART

As we have just heard, the Acts of the Apostles bears witness to this by describing the lifestyle that characterizes humanity when it has been renewed by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 4:32-37). Even today, we must embrace this apostolic rule and put it into practice, meditating on it as an authentic criterion for ecclesial reform: a reform that must begin in the heart, if it is to be genuine, and must encompass everyone if it is to be effective.

First, “the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (v. 32). This spiritual unity is a concordia: a word that signifies well the communion of hearts that beat as one because they are united with the heart of Christ. The early Church, therefore, was not based on a social contract, but rather on the harmony of faith, affections, ideas and life decisions centered on the love of God who became man to save all the peoples of the earth.

Second, let us admire the tangible effects of the spiritual unity among believers: “everything they owned was held in common” (v. 32). Everyone has everything, sharing in one another’s goods as members of a single body. No one is deprived of anything, because everyone shares what they have. Since possession can be transformed into gift, this fraternal dedication does not represent a utopia. Only hearts divided against one another and souls consumed by greed believe that it is. On the contrary, faith in the one God, Lord of heaven and earth, unites people according to perfect justice, which calls everyone to charity — that is, to love every creature with the love that God gives us in Christ. Therefore, in the face of poverty and oppression, the guiding principle above all for Christians is charity: let us do to those around us, as we would have them do to us (cf. Mt 7:12). Inspired by this law, inscribed in our hearts by God, the Church is continually reborn, for where there is despair she kindles hope, where there is misery she brings dignity, and where there is conflict she brings reconciliation.

Third, the passage from Acts shows us the foundation of this new life, which embraces peoples of every language and culture: “With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all” (v. 33). The charity that motivates them is more than a moral commitment; it is a sign of salvation: the Apostles proclaim that our lives can change because Christ has risen from the dead. The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise. Dearest Christians of Algeria, you remain a humble and faithful sign of Christ’s love in this land. Bear witness to the Gospel through simple gestures, genuine relationships and a dialogue lived out day by day: in this way, you bring flavor and light to the places where you live. Your presence in this country is like incense: a glowing grain that spreads fragrance because it gives glory to the Lord and joy and comfort to so many brothers and sisters….POPE LEO

ASCEND IS NEXT SATURDAY – DON’T MISS IT!

There is still time to register to participate in the Ascend Eucharistic Revival Conference next Saturday, May 15 at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.  Don’t miss it! The link is ASCEND Eucharistic Revival – Catholic Conference & Eucharistic Event in Bellevue, WA | May 16, 2026

SPECIAL HOLY HOUR TO PRAY FOR ASCEND- NEXT FRIDAY,  MAY15, 8-9PM AT ST. JUDE with noted music group Floriani. Adoration till Midnight. Come and worship the Lord! It should be a wonder opportunity to spend time with Jesus!

Blessings on your week!

Fr. Johnson