As one door closes...

...another opens. Or so the saying goes.

As we shift into Partners in the Gospel here in the Archdiocese of Seattle, we have approached huge changes. Some changes are very welcome and some are not.

I feel like COVID united many of us in ways we never predicted - we hold on to common experiences we had during those hardest times, and we grasp on dearly to those who adventured by our sides through the mess of it all. Our priests were there for us, through it all, through the mess and stress. They pulled us through the seemingly darkest of times, holding space for us to grieve, just be, and even celebrate. We created special bonds with these men, our leaders through it all. They were the ones carrying us to God's word through sometimes seemingly impossible times. They celebrated with us, mourned with us, journeyed with us. And now it's time to say...see you later.

Because after all, it's not actually goodbye. We will see them again, at some other time, maybe not too long in the future. (We actually already have plans to see Fr. Michael, our former pastor, at his new parish later this summer.)

But as that door closes on our parish, another door is being opened. We are ushering in a new chapter, new pages to write our story. We get new opportunities, new leaders, new experiences. We get to help write the next chapter for our parish. How exciting!!

So with that, we have welcomed in Fr. Roy - a beacon of joy and hope and change. Not all change has to be scary, not all change has to be sad or upsetting. This man just RADIATES joy. I was honestly skeptical of change, having grown so close to Fr. Michael. I am now excited. I am excited to see what journey Fr. Roy has in store for us. I am excited to see how the parish grows, changes, and we as parishioners grow in glory and in God.

Blessings!

Fun fact! One of my photos was published by Northwest Catholic run by the Archdiocese of Seattle!