Archbishop Etienne Blesses FSSP Seattle’s New Church

On Saturday, November 23rd, 2019, North American Martyrs Parish, our apostolate in Seattle, WA, officially began operations at its new location with the blessing of its church by His Excellency the Most Reverend Paul Etienne, Archbishop of Seattle. After the blessing, His Excellency attended in choir as pastor Fr. Joseph Heffernan, assisted by assistant pastor Fr. Caleb Insco and FSSP Director of Development Fr. Zachary Akers, celebrated the opening Mass at the building that was purchased over the summer. Also in attendance were Fr. Timothy O’Brien, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, our nearby apostolate in Tacoma, WA and a number of other clerics. The pews were full, and it was no surprise: North American Martyrs parishioners have been waiting a long time – about 10 years – for the day they could witness the blessing of their own church building. The parish and the Fraternity are deeply grateful to the Archdiocese of Seattle for assisting the apostolate in finding its permanent home, and to the Archbishop in particular for coming to perform the blessing and for joining us on this memorable day.

NAM, as the parish is fondly acronymed, has already brought its new facility a long way. A beautiful wooden altar and communion rail now grace the sanctuary, matching well the Northwest aesthetic contributed by the rustic pinewood ceiling above. Stations of the Cross line the side aisles, and statues of Our Lady and St. Joseph stand in their accustomed places to the left and right of the sanctuary. The floor of the sanctuary and center aisle, formerly afflicted with teal-blue carpet, have been redone and now sport wooden floorboards. The basement of the building includes classrooms and a gym, which provide abundant space for parish events such as the reception that was held after the blessing.

We look forward to seeing how the church continues to develop over the next several months, and we congratulate our Seattle apostolate on settling into its new home. +

Photos by Michael Curtis.