Allison Chappell’s funeral was held at St Therese on December 23, the morning that the city was covered in ice. Allison had taken her own life a month earlier. Deacon Greg talked about his own battles with depression and how even when depressed, he put on a performance when awake. “You can’t always tell from the outside what people are dealing with on the inside,” he said.

Editor’s note: Allison Chappell grew up at St Therese where her parents and grandparents were parishioners, went nine years to our school, served as a CYO camp counselor and became a school counselor. She fell into a serious depression about the time COVID hit and took her own life last November. Her tragedy has left many people deeply shaken. This eulogy is by Jim Valiere, a former teacher and administrator at St. Therese School. Many of us will spend the rest of our lives trying to process this grief.

We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Non-Believers, Look heavenward and speak the word aloud. Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud. Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves. And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation. ​​​​​​​Peace, My Brother.  Peace, My Sister.  Peace, My Soul. 

By their faith, God took the form of a human, challenged religious authority, and brought the sins of humanity down upon himself. The God who is love came for all the world.

What are the signs of our times? We are enduring a fresh outbreak of racism and antisemitism, of belief in incredible conspiracies. Our churches are turning gray as the past few generations believe in the Judeo-Christian ethic but not in the institutional Church.

Let us experience Advent as waiting for the miraculous moment when God emerged as humankind.

This is the importance of the phrase “first born of the dead”.  Jesus’ resurrection begins the reconciliation of humanity to God in all our collective sin and in all our individual sins.  Regardless of our sins, we will be reconciled to God.  

I hope you can see from my few examples that our mission statement gives us all wide latitude with how we might use our many diverse talents to make this parish and our corner of the world a little bit better. All such works are pleasing in the eyes of God.

Let us answer the call, share the fruits of our faith and do what we can do to fulfill our role as parts of the body, as stewards of St. Therese parish.

Dear Lord God, You alone are the source of every good gift and the mystery of each human life. We thank you for creation and for your tender, faithful love.

Being convinced of your own righteousness is what arrogance is all about. It leads one to do terrible things.

The National Synodal Synthesis calls from healing of division, a more welcoming Church, a greater role for women, and greater transparecy.

“Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Jesus to his traveling companions, Luke 17:19

The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do! Luke 16:3

The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved."

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We have been tasked with spreading the Gospel to rebuild our Church in secular Seattle. Let us keep faith, keep being nourished by the Eucharist, and our efforts will be more than enough!

Happy Feast of the Holy Trinity! Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.             St. Paul, Romans 5:5 Amen! Let us take the time to sit quietly and open our hearts to the outpouring of the Spirit.

he curious thing about Luke’s account of Pentecost is that it gave rise to a speaking spiritual phenomenon where the believer is speaking something that can’t be understood. But Luke is talking about the Spirit enabling people to understand across the language divide. There are people of all nations praising God in their own tongues, and the witnesses hear them in their own tongues.

The question of authority still sits with us today. The Roman Catholic Church long ago decided to let it reside with the Bishop of Rome in consultation with his brother bishops. (Yes, those masculine pronouns are issues very much worthy of continued discussion.) The pastor of the Church of Western Washington is our Archbishop, Paul Etienne. Which brings us to the Annual Catholic Appeal.