St. Barbara
Catholic Church
Black Diamond, WA

Reparation — Overcoming Evil with Good If you have not read Archbishop Etienne’s pastoral letter on the Sacred Heart, I highly encourage you to do so. It appears in the most recent edition of Northwest Catholic and is also available on the Archdiocesan website. It offers a beautiful exposition of the Sacred Heart devotion and explains why it is so relevant. Reading the section on reparation reminded me of an experience I had while attending the 2005 International

Learning From The Example of Others My first assignment as a newly ordained priest was with Fr. Jim Lee, who passed away on December 22, 2024. He was a great blessing and mentor to me, and I thank God that I had the opportunity to learn from him. We both stepped into a very difficult environment because past leadership in the parish had greatly compromised and undermined the role of the pastor and, in general, the clergy. A group of people loyal to the previous pastor a

“Ollie” The Octopus My father had a tremendous love and appreciation for the splendor of God’s creation. When he was eleven, his parents gave him John James Audubon’s book The Birds of America, and he memorized many of the birds by their Latin names. He instilled this love and fascination with God’s creatures in my brother and me. Shortly after my fourth birthday, I remember my encounter with “Ollie” the octopus. My father came home from work and called my brother and me to

This June 11, as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotion to the Sacred Heart has developed over the centuries following the experiences of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the apparitions she witnessed in the seventeenth century. Popes have lauded the practice of consecration of the self, home, and even whole nations to

Corpus Christi & Giving Thanks This weekend we celebrate Corpus Christi, a wonderful opportunity to give thanks for the marvelous gift of the Eucharist. I pray we will all deepen our love and our ability to “become what we receive” (St. Augustine). I also celebrate 29 years of ordination and service as a priest in the Archdiocese of Seattle. It is hard to believe how quickly the years have passed and how many amazing people I have met and accompanied in ministry. I truly