Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we continue our journey in Partners in the Gospel, I write to you today to reiterate what that means. Some may have a general understanding of it as an initiative from the Archdiocese, but I sense there might be more wondering about what it means specifically for our parish and our future.

In the coming weeks, the bulletin and newsletter will include a series of articles that will walk us step-by-step through what Partners in the Gospel is all about: what it is, why we are undertaking it, how it will unfold, who is involved, and what it means for us as a parish family.

At its heart, Partners in the Gospel is not simply about combining parishes or reorganizing structures. It is about something much deeper. It is about renewal. The Church in Western Washington, like many places, is facing real challenges: fewer priests, changing demographics, and fewer people actively practicing the faith. But rather than simply managing decline, Archbishop Etienne is inviting us to respond with faith, courage, and hope.

This effort asks an essential question: How can we become a more vibrant, mission-driven Church that helps people truly encounter Jesus Christ? That is the heart of this initiative. Our parish family has been entrusted with this important work of discernment. Over the next few years, we will be walking a path together—listening, praying, reflecting, and planning—so that we can more fully live the mission Christ has given us.

I want to be very clear: This is not something being done to us. It is something we are being invited to do together. There will continue to be opportunities for you to learn more, to ask questions, to share your perspective, and to participate in shaping the future of our parish family. Your voice matters, and your participation is essential.

Most importantly, I ask you to pray. Pray for our parish family. Pray for wisdom, unity, and openness to the Holy Spirit. The Lord is not abandoning His Church. He is calling us forward. Let us respond with trust.

In Christ,

Fr. Freitag

Pastor

Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Fatima, and St. Anne Parishioners,

I hope that your Lenten season has been a time to slow down and prayerfully re-prioritize life, or at least an attempt to—good intentions, am I right? I have been enjoying reading the Magnificat and being reminded of all the little ways we can lift up our sufferings and work with a spirit of “joy and gratitude” as the prayer to St. Joseph encourages us to do.

As mentioned in December, based on the communications survey results, I am moving my spotlight to a quarterly vs. monthly model. I hope that this will still serve as a good way to share with you what is going on with the parish family from a financial perspective.

Last year we worked on moving towards a more unified chart of accounts. This year we have been working to streamline the shared family expenses, ensuring that each parish is responsible for their fair portion. As one can imagine this is a delicate and important job as well as a newer aspect of the finance teams’ role. All of this is laying important groundwork for when the parish finances will be combined as an end result of the Partners in the Gospel process.

An often confusing aspect of the financials is that within the parish world we operate on two different cycles. The first is the fiscal year which is from July 1 to June 30—as seen in the budget. The second is the calendar or giving year from January 1 to December 31. One of the tricky components to setting a budget is that the Stewardship of Treasure campaign does not align with the fiscal year and as such we have to account for seasonality of income that ebbs and flows throughout the year. The giving year is what is reflected in the giving statements that go out to parishioners for tax purposes.

Speaking of which, on behalf of the parish staff I want to apologize for any inconsistencies you received in your year-end giving statements. We are trying to create processes to ensure things run more effectively moving forward. Meanwhile, we are more than happy to work with you to resolve any discrepancies and to make sure you have what you need to file your taxes

As always thanks for all your support and patience.

Take care,

Brigid

Brigid McMahan, Director of Finance

Read the Finance Reports through these links: Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Fatima, and St. Anne.

Lenten Resources & Activities

Holy Week Schedule

Palm Sunday: Follows the regular weekend Mass schedule for times and locations.

Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper: 7 PM at Our Lady of Fatima

Good Friday, Veneration of the Cross: 7 PM at Sacred Heart of Jesus

Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil: 8 PM at St. Anne

Easter Sunday: 9 AM at Our Lady of Fatima; 10 AM at Sacred Heart of Jesus; 11 AM at St. Anne

There will not be daily Masses or Confession during the Triduum. Also, there will not be a 5 PM Mass at Sacred Heart on Easter Sunday.

Solemnities of Lent

The Solemnity of St. Joseph is on Thursday, March 19th and the Solemnity of the Annunciation is on Wednesday, March 25th. While they are not Holy Days of Obligation, they are important days to enter more fully into the liturgical season of Lent.

Soup Suppers and Stations of the Cross

Come join us for Lenten fellowship and prayer on Friday evenings. Soup is shared at 6 pm, followed by the Stations of the Cross at 7 pm. The location will rotate. We are grateful for the ministry groups or communities who will be helping to lead the evenings.

We invite parishioners to sign-up to bring soup and/or bread to share for 8-10 people. Sign-up online here or physical sign-ups will be available at each church. 

March 20 at Sacred Heart, led by the Legion of Mary

March 27 at St. Anne, led by St. Anne School

Pray the Rosary at the House of Prayer

During Lent, join us at the House of Prayer (101 W. Lee Street) on Tuesdays and Fridays at noon to pray the Rosary. See the front page of the bulletin for all rosaries scheduled at the churches.

Rice Bowl Collection

Please bring your Rice Bowl donations to church next weekend, March 28 and 29. There will be designated baskets near the entrances for collection.

Good Friday Stations at the Schools

Our Lady of Fatima School and St. Anne School invite parishioners to their traditional Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, led by the eighth graders, and at St. Anne fifth grade as well.

Our Lady of Fatima’s will be at 11:15 am in the gym.

St. Anne’s will be at 2:15 pm in the church, followed by a silent dismissal.

Upcoming Events and Activities

Children’s Easter Choir

Calling singers in 4th grade and up! Join music director Sung Lee and the Fatima Choir for Mass on Easter Sunday!

Space is limited. Sign up online here. Contact Sung Lee at slee@olfatima.org with any questions.

Young Adults Upcoming Events

Friday, March 20 & 27: 7:30 PM Open Gym at St. Anne’s Banchero Hall

Saturday, March 28: Vigil Mass and Wine Tasting Social

Come to the 5 PM Vigil Mass at St. Anne and after Mass join us in the Narthex for a fun wine social. To participate, please bring one bottle of wine priced under $40 to share with the group. We’ll provide the charcuterie boards and light refreshments to pair with the pours. Please RSVP at this link so we can prepare enough food.

Parent Presentation: 6:30-8pm

News & Announcements

St. Martin Meal Program

The next dates for the meal drop-off are Tuesdays March 10th and 24th at 4:30 to 5 PM in the Our Lady of Fatima parking lot.

Blessing of the St. Francis Statue

St. Anne’s new statue of St. Francis has been installed in the side garden. The blessing scheduled for this past Thursday was cancelled due to the rainy weather. It will be rescheduled soon.

Help Needed

An elderly St. Anne parishioner needs a ride to Mass. If you are able to help, please call the parish office. We will be happy to put you in touch.

Beware of Phishing Emails

We have again received reports from parishioners that they have received suspicious emails from accounts claiming to be Fr. Freitag. If you receive any emails outside of our standard staff addresses, anything requesting assistance or declaring urgency, please delete and certainly do not open any attachments.