1. Saint Patrick Catholic Church King County Seattle, Washington U.S.A.
2. What were common or important themes that emerged from the listening sessions?
Here is our response to the first query from Pope Francis, “How are the faithful journeying together at Saint Patrick parish?”
We have found humanity meeting divinity at St. Patrick’s, where diversity, equity and inclusion are the very life and breath of the community. The troubles of this world dissolve with anyone’s passing in through the doors of this beloved St. Patrick Church where the presence of the Holy Spirit pervades with continuity in its sacred space. How is it so, with war in Europe following a worldwide pandemic, with crippling isolation suffered by so many? The Holy Spirit pervades in abiding presence at St. Patrick Church as youth, adults and elders alike gather together to listen, learn and know their deepest value through the loving arms of humanity and our Creator God.
From two young St. Patrick’s members: “I like the dancing and the music. We get to do something. I like that people accept you and forgive you if you do something wrong. The plants and flowers are beautiful. The activities we do are awesome. We have a kind priest and deacon. The whole community is like a family. I love how the people care about you.”
From a parent: “So many people participate as Eucharistic Ministers, in the music, as lectors, or in the many other ministries of the church. It is very warm and welcoming. I am happy that St. Patrick’s welcomes the contributions of young people and there are many ways for them to participate in the liturgy and beyond in parish life.”
From another youth: "Not all understand the gospel, but the movement (dance and ASL signing) helps interpret the gospel - we all learn more!”
A widow in St. Patrick's Bible study “finds contemplative and centering prayer to be life-giving. We need to teach youth different ways of interpreting the bible and praying, extending liturgy. We need to rethink how the Church should be! That is what worship and prayer is all about.”
A talented musical director “found while at another church, when the charism changed, she felt stifled, not helped to grow. At St. Patrick's she had a sense of welcoming and inclusion. Saint Patrick's looks for ways to include people, to increase a sense of education / outreach.”
An ASL lector found it “Life-giving to be married by a signing priest.” She asked, “Could the Eucharistic minister please sign: the Body of Christ, the Blood of Christ.”
From a L’Arche member: “Life-giving St. Patrick Church! I love St. Patrick Church!”
An interpreter “has received life-giving spiritual direction and joy through music ministry, with women’s retreats and discussion groups. It’s been so life-giving to see deaf members reading! Filled with joy that St. Patrick’s parish embraces signing!”
From a former parishioner: “The community strives to live the Gospel values and Social Justice by reaching out to our sister parish in El Salvador, the homeless and marginalized. Community desires to be inclusive and there is an environment of connection where everyone is welcome.”
3. Which particular stories or real-life experiences were shared related to the way our church currently journeys together? (Give examples with identifying information, but without names – e.g., a young Hispanic woman shared a story of her faith in God increasing as a result of her First Communion or a middle-aged African American man saw his faith grow through participation in a faith-sharing group.)
A homebound parishioner “loves it when Deacon Dennis and Fr. Bryan wave to those people connecting from home, she feels a part of things and feels present.”
Another cited Jeremiah 17: 5-8, “Jeremiah warned his readers to trust no living person, but to put their trust in God. Jesus proclaimed his contraposition, explaining that we can encounter the reign of God, God’s active presence among us, in a community of flesh and blood people. Not only that, but we are invited to be those people in our moment of history.”
Yet another shares: “I have enjoyed and been immensely enriched by all four of the women’s retreats that I have attended over the years. In all the places I’ve lived and where I belonged to so many parishes, none of them come close to the outreach at St. Patrick’s, especially women helping other women. Another wonderful example of the Holy Spirit within St. Patrick’s family has been our neighborhood groups, especially meetings in one another’s homes where we discussed Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si in a series of meetings and other church topics.”
From a young adult woman: “Celebrating mass together is nourishing; communion is really about people together at table. St. Patrick's is an example of the People of God who live that experience, who share a meal, engaging in nourishing liturgies. All participate and everybody is welcoming, like a family: the body of Christ with many parts. Openness to new ideas gives hope for continuation.”
A parishioner from another faith background: “We are all different parts of one body of Christ; we are many parts toward a common goal. The love of God shows for those with disabilities and for those whose disabilities are not so visible. Love is poured out to heal brokenness, such as the hand of an elder parishioner touching to heal the loss of a grandparent. Our Saint’s communion in heaven is with us, a conduit between earth and heaven.”
A father of daughters shares that he “appreciates the range of voices providing homilies, especially women parishioners, relevant for situations in our lives.”
A mother “Loves the Synod call to the faithful and the world to discern how the Spirit calls us.”
A woman loves “Catholic Social Teachings and Works of Mercy; People supporting others in their joys and sorrows.”
Another appreciates “our St. Patrick Community celebrations, including funerals.” She appreciates Pope Francis and prays “he may live long enough to help transform the Church.”
An elder couple notes: “the Pandemic has added problems, and we have been so grateful to have mass on-line, and have appreciated the times we’ve been brought Eucharist to our home, as well as having the life-giving connections on Zoom with Choir practice, Women’s Encountering God, enlightening Wednesday night movies, and our ‘Grief Group’ sessions once a month when we lift up others, as well as ourselves, who lost significant others. We know that our St. Patrick’s community ‘has our backs’!”
4. What dreams, desires, and aspirations for our Church were expressed by participants?
Here is our response to the second query from Pope Francis, “How do parishioners at Saint Patrick’s envision growing in their faith journey?”
Hearts in our parish burn with the Holy Spirit’s vision for breathing into new life, daring to hope our children thrive and theirs for generations to come with acceptance in a resurrected church. We thank dear Pope Francis for this “gift of Synodal listening, inviting us all to take part.” We pray for “courage and freedom of heart” in loving our Creator God and in “loving the best of what church offers,” deeply mourning its grave failures, grieving its losses of relevancy. We envision opening “priestly ordination to women and married people. To rebuild the status of the family in society, we need priests who are also mothers and fathers. We welcome LGBTQ people as full and active church participants, honoring humanity’s truth and God’s truth that each person is a unique, unrepeatable likeness of God.” We “call out racism with a unified voice” and fully “embrace nonviolence as followers of Jesus.” Healing harmful injustices against the People of God and mother Earth, “we embrace Laudato Si with Pope Francis.” We commit to “advocating in accord with the Gospel, to being the hands and feet of Christ in the world,” revitalizing “our mission of evangelization.” We aspire to life-long learning by partnering with schools and universities, by “honoring cultures with varied music, art and prayer traditions.” Let us now “re-engage the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, as in Christ’s victory over sin and death.”
We dream of our parish’s continuity, ever possessing its “charism and culture that is all about community.” Strengthening communities “build greater intimacy, belonging and vulnerability, that nourishes each person and develops organic leadership.” When you know and “deeply understand people you can see and bring out all their gifts to contribute for the whole community.” For example, “a member of the St. Patrick’s laity was recognized as a leader and one who could give reflections on the gospel; this leader wound up organizing an expanding committee of laity members offering reflections!”
It has been “life-giving to see continuing growth and unfolding potentials in so many parishioners at St. Patrick Church.” Children who have grown up in the parish have “learned to embody the Word by their choices and the work they choose to pursue in the world.” Our sister parish relationship with Nueva Trinidad in El Salvador has transformed many families at St. Patrick’s and has also transformed youth and young adult career pathways for those who have participated. “Lay leaders at St. Patrick Church cultivate emerging lay leaders.” Several examples include: “Children’s Liturgy of the Word (with all members involved from the laity) and Betsey Beckman’s movement ministry, involving St. Patrick’s youth, including all ages with ASL interpreting and dancing. Inclusive ministries such as these are leavening for youth and young adult involvement in social justice issues.”
5. What challenges or opportunities do these reflections pose as we journey together?
Expressed by nearly every participant, here is a teacher’s personal heartbreak:
• The exclusion of women’s voices in leadership: Women are unable to be priests so churches must “bend the rules” to allow them a voice, e.g., having to call preaching on the gospel by women, even those with Catholic theology degrees, “reflections” rather than “homilies.”
• There is much division in the church because of the patriarchy / hierarchical structure which does not have to be there if the church were not exclusive of women, LGBTQ.
• Exclusivity of the Eucharist: You can’t come to the table if you don’t profess the doctrine.
A therapist shares her frustration “that the Church continues to fight married couple’s use of birth control. I see the damage that both children and parents experience when parents don’t get a say over when they have children or how many they have. Couples are told to put God in charge of how many children they have. But God gave us discernment. We don’t tell people to avoid doctors when they are sick, for fear of getting in the way of God’s will. Why is the important area of procreation different?”
As did other women, this therapist voiced frustration on the Church’s “distortion of sexuality. Women continue to be seen as the cause of any sexual harassment or assault they experience.”
An academic advisor states that the “Institutional Church lacks recognition of its own limits,” and that “Clerics have and use power.” Many at St. Patrick’s find the Church “oppressive and racist to local cultures not European.” Most, like this parishioner, find the Church not only lacking in respect for “local cultures and cultural expression” but also that “women are not valued.” For example, she shared that her “mother mended, ironed and cared for a priest’s vestments, and when her mother was dying the priest didn’t even cross the street to visit.”
A leading, compassionate voice from the laity shares:
• There is little place for women to offer their fullest gifts, which the Church truly needs.
• Over the past decade, women in the Archdiocese of Seattle had more ability to be involved in offering reflections, serving as pastoral administrators, etc. However, this role has been diminished and is still second to the role of men.
• The hierarchy continues to hold power with a death grip, similar to the “I can’t breathe” racist situations in the U.S.; those perpetrating power are disconnected from the destructiveness and harm of their ways. Clerics are attracted to power or martyr syndromes and are not necessarily servant leaders.
Deepest sadness expressed by laity:
• Message from hierarchy is not relevant to young adults or people with mature spirituality. Humans seek community, not a power dynamic.
• Hierarchy does not place value on listening or responding to the laity; this seems a complete retraction from the Vatican II message, where the intent is for clerics to serve, creating lay leadership. This dismantling of the intent of Vatican II is most heartbreaking.
6. What did participants share related to the question of “what steps does the Holy Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our journeying together”?
Participants shared they do not want St. Patrick's parish to be closed. There are decades-long-standing commitments within this parish to life-long faith formation and development. As a magnet, St. Patrick's could mentor lay leaders in the Seattle diocese, preparing to serve their own parishes. Life-long faith development weaves together continuously at St. Patrick's. It:
· Begins with pre-school age children in Catechesis of the Good Shepard;
· Continues with active faith formation for primary, middle and high school youth;
· Offers opportunities to all ages for engagement in experiencing the Gospel message through music ministry, liturgical dance and signing with the deaf & deaf-blind;
· Shares hospitality with all who enter St. Patrick's doors;
· Connects with Seattle Prep and their outreach ministry for synergy with St. Patrick's;
· Reaches out for social justice, involving people of all ages;
· Partners with our sister parish in El Salvador, as our parishes walk together in solidarity;
· Educates with inspiring films for all ages;
· Develops adult faith through Thursday morning women's group and bible studies;
· Further develops adult faith through theologian's presentations from Seattle U, Villanova;
· Develops faith in community for all ages, four hours every Saturday morning through “Saturday Crew,” to work on parish maintenance needs; this is our community in faith with the Holy Spirit, sharing coffee, pastries and our stories;
· Evangelizes by testifying at Seattle Council Meetings in favor of helping the homeless;
· Evangelizes by leading support for Central Americans fleeing violence, hosting families in our homes, and creating legal assistance funds for refugees with legal asylum cases;
· Leads against nuclear armament, exploitation and abuse of mother Earth;
· Leads for restorative justice, including all of God's creation.
Our parish devotion over many decades to continuing faith development is hard-earned through everyday actions, the very lives that are led. Each and every one is honored and treasured at St. Patrick's as envisioned by our Creator. This parish may serve for inspiration and learning by other parishes in the Seattle Archdiocese and in the world, by its very example of a Catholic Church.
St. Patrick’s Church invites the Archdiocese to engage in Restorative and Transformative Justice:
Transformative justice centers on creating an environment that is “race, gender, class and disability accessible, equitable, safe and welcoming for all.” Experiences of “harm emerge in historically patterned ways, perpetuated by social and religious hierarchy,” affecting members of the Catholic Church in adverse and “inequitable ways.”
This approach “addresses systemic issues underlying harm with commitment to transformation, bringing together those who have been harmed with those who have done harm in the presence of religious and lay community members who aim for reconciliation, restoration and reparation.”
“Through listening to truth, restorative justice can: 1) surface remorse, empathy, and accountability; 2) enable interactions to begin healing wounds; 3) inspire restoration; and 4) facilitate working together to prevent future harm.” In a context of “growing affinity,” mutual accountability means “implementations of transformative justice” in which the laity and Catholic hierarchy “participate on equal terms.”
7. How many listening sessions did you have?
Seven parish-wide listening sessions.
8. Did you have different listening sessions for different groups?
Yes, there were seven parish-wide sessions via Zoom with small break-out groups, a session for the children, the choir, the coffee hour group via Zoom after mass, smaller neighborhood group sessions, and numerous one-to-one listening sessions.
9. Did you seek to invite unrecognized voices? If so, how?
We reached out to all current parishioners, former parishioners, and we talked with extended family members, friends and others who are no longer attending mass. We additionally held one-to-one listening sessions with a theologian, a retired priest, a church employee, associates and Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace.
10. What other methods, structures, or approaches did you use in your plan?
Invitations for Synodal Listening were extended in parish-wide emails on Fridays and through neighborhood group emails. Invitations were extended via email from our two Synodal coordinators, as well as a group of listeners and scribes. A number of parishioners accepted the invitation to write individual reflections. These were very rich along with the small group break-out sessions we had via Zoom. Parishioners who didn't list an email address were contacted by phone and contributed via hand-written notes from a dedicated listener and / or scribe. There were over twenty parishioners who volunteered to serve as listeners and scribes for St. Patrick's parish. Listeners and scribes participated in the break-out groups of the Zoom sessions, and they also reached out to individual parishioners, then listened and recorded responses.
