St. Barbara
Catholic Church
Black Diamond, WA

Being A Fruitful Christian In the parable of the talents, Jesus tells of a master who entrusts his servants with different amounts before leaving on a journey. When he returns, he asks what they have done with what they were given. The first two servants put their talents to work and were fruitful; the third buried his. The parable reminds us that we have all been entrusted with gifts and abilities. They may differ from one person to another, but each can be used for the

December 6th, after morning Mass Join us after Mass in the parish hall for our Advent Parish Celebration as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Enjoy fellowship, seasonal activities, and festive refreshments as we begin this holy season together. All ages are welcome!

Calling All Young Artists! Get creative and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas! St. Barbara Church invites all young artists to participate in our Keep Christ in Christmas Art Contest! Create an original poster showing what Christmas means to you and how we can keep Jesus at the center of our celebrations. Use pictures, colors, and words to share the true meaning of this beautiful season! IMPORTANT DATES • Posters Due: December 20 • Winners Announced: Christmas • Prizes

Online Form Closes Nov 29th Vision We are an evangelized and evangelizing community, operating under the dynamic anointing of the Holy Spirit. Together we strive for spiritual maturity and eagerly share the hope within us. Sacraments are a place of encountering Jesus Christ and celebrating His redemptive love and our dignity as children of God. Equipping everyone for the work of ministry, and faith formation aimed for Christian maturity. Parents embrace their role as the prim

Remembering Our Loved Ones November invites us to remember those who have died, not as a passing custom, but as an expression of the Catholic faith in the communion of saints. The month begins with All Saints’ Day, when we rejoice in the holiness of those who now share fully in God’s life. The following day, All Souls’ Day, turns our attention especially to the faithful departed. Throughout November, many Catholics visit cemeteries, pray for loved ones, light candles,

Holiness Is Friendship with God As we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, it is good to remember what the saints teach us. Through God’s grace, they grew in friendship with him, which gave them confidence to face the challenges of discipleship, trusting that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (cf. Romans 8:31). The name Opus Dei means “Work of God.” St. Josemaría Escrivá understood it not as a tribute to his own achievement, but as a reminder that God was the true

A Healing Encounter At The Altar Recently, someone shared that one of their favorite moments of the Mass comes just before receiving Holy Communion, when we recall the words of the centurion: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof; but only say the word and my servant shall be healed.” In the Mass, we make those words our own: “Only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” We should always remember that we are not worthy and that salvation is God’s free

“Falling” Into Grace Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I was never a fan of the extremely hot summers in the Tri-Cities, where I grew up. I loved walking to school in the morning and seeing my breath in the cold air. I also have fond memories of deer-hunting trips with my dad and brother, mushroom hunting, and heading to the Leavenworth area to spend a couple of days with my folks and enjoy the beautiful fall foliage. In 2021, my father and I took a photograph

A Call To The Wedding Banquet As we reflect on this 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time the Gospel brings us into the heart of a powerful invitation. We hear the parable of the king who prepares a magnificent wedding banquet for his son. It is a vivid image of God’s boundless love, an invitation extended to each of us to share in the joy and abundance of the Kingdom. Yet the parable also carries an important challenge: we are summoned, but we must come prepared. When the king encoun

Christ, the Cornerstone of Our Lives In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the unfaithful tenants and concludes with a solemn warning: “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it” (Matthew 21:43). The vineyard represents God’s people and the life entrusted to us. God lovingly cultivates us, gives us His grace, and calls us to bear fruits of goodness, justice, and holiness. Yet the parable also revea

Parents: The First Teachers of Faith As we begin another year of our Faith Formation program, we are grateful for the opportunity to walk with families as they grow in knowledge and love of God. Our parish program plays an important role, but it is important to remember that parents are the primary educators of their children in the ways of faith. Faith is not formed only in a classroom or during a weekly lesson. Children learn about God through the daily example of their

Dear Parish Family, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped put together the All-Parish Family Picnic last weekend. A special word of thanks goes to Janet Pennacchi Dahlquist, who helped organize everything. While we weren’t blessed with great weather this year, we were blessed with excellent food and hospitality, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I once again want to express my gratitude to everyone in our parish family who has demonstrated

Here is a polished version with grammatical and stylistic revisions: Dear Parish Family, In his landmark apostolic exhortation *Christifideles Laici, Saint John Paul II reminded us of a fundamental truth of our faith: “The lay faithful are never separated from the Church, for they are the Church.” He called each of us, by virtue of our Baptism, to be “laborers in the vineyard,” actively participating in Christ’s mission in our world today. Often, we might think that “ministry

Strength in the Inner Self One of my favorite Scripture passages is Ephesians 3:14–21. In this prayer, St. Paul asks for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our inner selves. I recently shared with you in a homily that I had a powerful experience during Mass in which the Lord showed me that He accomplishes this wonderful work each time we receive Holy Communion. While reading The Imitation of Christ, I came across a prayer that reinfor

St. Barbara and the Knights of Columbus are excited to host the annual Oktoberfest Auction again on October 17th at 6:00 PM - Tickets on sale now! The evening will start with a silent auction. During dinner there will be a live auction and the ever popular Dessert Dash! Join us for a fun night of German fare and fellowship. To purchase tickets, donate auction items, or contribute a dessert for the dessert dash, email quinnkatie88@gmail.com.

St. Francis de Sales & Spiritual Encouragement This past week, a series of challenging events led me to revisit one of my favorite spiritual books by St. Francis de Sales. In Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis de Sales reminds us that holiness is not reserved for monks, priests, or those who live apart from the world. Every person, whatever their vocation, responsibilities, or circumstances, is called to grow in love for God. St. Francis teaches tha

Partnership With Hallow App We’re excited to announce our new partnership with Hallow, the leading Catholic prayer and meditation app. Through Hallow, you can access guided prayers, meditations, Bible readings, reflections, and much more. These resources are all available anytime and wherever you are. Whether you are beginning a daily prayer routine, looking for a few quiet moments of reflection, or hoping to deepen an already-established prayer life, Hallow offers mean

Hearing The Still Small Voice Of God Our first reading today is an important reminder of how difficult it can be to hear the voice of God in a world filled with so much noise and distraction. Elijah’s faith had already been tested before this incident. Jezebel had threatened to take his life, so he fled and told the Lord that it was too much for him and asked Him to take his life (cf. 1 Kings 19:4). An angel then appeared and told him to eat a hearth cake and drink some w

Champions For Christ I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who participated in Cathletics Vacation Bible School this year at St. Barbara Parish from July 27 through July 31. It was such a joy to join you and witness the joy and creativity involved in engaging our children as they learned more about our Catholic faith and God’s marvelous plan for our lives. Our leaders and volunteers put so much time and effort into providing a beautiful atmosphere and experience for

An Invitation To ChristLife This fall our parish will offer ChristLife, a parish-centered evangelization and discipleship program designed to help people encounter Jesus, grow in faith, and learn to share the Gospel in everyday life. Whether you’re new to church, returning after time away, or a long-time parishioner seeking to go deeper, ChristLife meets you where you are and helps you take the next step. What is ChristLife? A simple, three-part process focused on relat