Dear Friends in Christ,

They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. – Acts 2:42-43

This has been a week of awe, signs, and wonders. Every so often in the life of being a priest, I have a “six sacraments” week. What I mean by that is I have the blessing to celebrate six of the seven sacraments of the Church with people in a short period of time. It often happens at Easter but at other times too. This is one such week.

This week, as in all weeks, I celebrated the Eucharist each day and heard confessions on Saturday. But this week, added in was the celebration of Baptism for three people, the celebration of Confirmation for two people, the Anointing of the Sick for a few people, as well as the witness of the Sacrament of Matrimony for a couple. That’s six, count them six, sacraments! The only one I can’t celebrate is the conferral of Holy Orders. Only the bishop ordains deacons and priests. I did once have a six sacrament week at the same time as when I attended the priesthood ordinations at the Cathedral….so that’s like six and a half I guess!

All of this is a lead up to say how I love the sacraments of the Church and how I praise God for the beauty and joy of the sacraments among us. Why do I think and feel this way? Sacraments are living encounters with Jesus and they draw us deeper into relationship with Him and with each other. More specifically, “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is entrusted to us.”  — Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1131. Imagine, God is entrusting us with divine life! That’s what the sacraments do.

When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He promised to be with us until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is with us always, through the Holy Spirit. We always share in His divine life. He is present when we pray by ourselves or with others; He is there whenever our hearts are turned toward Him and we utter His holy name. But Jesus desires to come close to us and offer us a share in His divine life in a very particular way through the sacraments. He literally “entrusts” us with His divine life when we approach Him spiritually and tangibly in the real signs of His presence in the world. In these signs (water, oil, bread, wine, touch, speech), the Lord is truly present and He touches our lives with His divine life in a real, tangible way. The various signs used in the sacraments are things that we hold in common with people of all times and places. They are common, ordinary things that God enters so that we can experience His grace and be united with Him and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can then beautifully remember our encounters with Him in these special ways.

So, for thousands of years, people have been cleansed of sin through the saving waters of Baptism and the forgiving words of absolution. The fragrant oil of chrism has confirmed the baptized and anointed those who are ordained by the imposition of hands. In addition, the laying on of hands and the healing balm of oil has cured and renewed the body and souls of the sick. The exchange of holy vows between and man and woman and the consuming of the body and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist brings Christ to the very center of our being.

The sacraments are signs that point us to the divine life of Christ, while Christ himself is the one who is present in them and who invites us to join Him in a common bond with all the beloved children of the Father. We truly become family when the sacraments are celebrated and when we each open ourselves up to the graces the Father desires to give us through Jesus His Son. Every celebration of a sacrament is a preparation to share fully in God’s divine life in eternity. The sacraments are God’s constant reminder to us of who He is and who we are called to be. In the words of Saint John, “ My dear friends, we are already God’s children, but what we shall be in the future has not been revealed. We are well aware that when He appears we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He really is.” — 1 John 3:2

That is why for me, in every celebration of the sacraments, even all six in one week, I am constantly reminded of God’s amazing love for us and how much He desires us to be among the joy of His eternal family. I pray the same for you!

Praise be Jesus Christ!
Fr. David Mulholland
prayer
Register for Mass
We look forward to gathering together with you at the Table of the Lord for a weekday and/or weekend liturgy! Registration for Mass is required to help us maintain social distancing.
Livestreaming the Mass
We will continue to livestream the Mass at 9 AM on Sundays from Saint Patrick Church. Subscribing to our YouTube Channel is not necessary to watch the Mass, however it allows you to set reminders to tune in and provides us with the option of livestreaming from a mobile device when we reach 1000 subscribers. We are so close! Don't forget to check-in on Facebook when you attend Mass so we can be together as a faith community and make your weekly offertory gift via Online Giving.
Celebrate the Assumption of Mary
Join us at St. Patrick Church on August 15, 2020 at 9 AM for the celebration of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. Sign-up for Mass using the registration link above. Mass will be livestreamed on our YouTube Channel— Confirmandi— share the link with your friends and family!
The dispensation for Mass is still in effect.
sacraments
Celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on August 29, 2020 at the 5 PM Mass at St. Patrick Church. Click the play button above to join us via livestream.
Confirmation Prep 2021
Students in grades 7 - 9 interested in receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2021 are invited to fill out an interest form now! We'll be in touch. Invite your friends to join you in preparing for this sacrament too.
outreach
Pregnancy Aid of Tacoma
serving the well-being of families with children in and beyond the womb by providing material and emotional support, Pregnancy Aid of Tacoma is in need of the following to help moms and babies:

  • non-expired infant or toddler car seats
  • prenatal vitamins and baby cereal
  • hotel-sized shampoo, lotion, and baby care kits
  • 3T-4T Pull-Ups and size 5 & 6 diapers
  • baby wipes, diaper bags, diaper rash cream
  • newborn bottles

Drop off donation on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 902 Market Street, Tacoma, 10:00 am - 1:30 pm. Please call ahead (253) 383-4100.
pastoral care
Stephen Ministers are Trained EMHC
Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Stephen Ministry had to modify the way in which we provide care to parishioners in need. We moved from face to face visits to telephone or internet calls. We were pleased with how well this worked. 

We would like to let everyone know that we are once again able to visit parishioners in person - taking mandated and appropriate COVID precautions of course. Now parishioners visiting with Stephen Ministry Care Givers may do so by whatever means they choose whether that be in person, phone, or otherwise. For people who feel as though they want to be isolated from crowds, it can be arranged for them to meet with their Stephen Minister at isolated areas around St. Patrick Church or any agreed-upon spot that limits their exposure to COVID.

In addition to care visits, the Stephen Ministers are also trained Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the Sick and Homebound. If you or someone you know is ill and unable to come to Mass or living in a retirement or nursing facility, please let us know so we can make arrangements to bring them Holy Communion. We want everyone to know that the Stephen Ministers and all Eucharistic Ministers are trained to mitigate the chances of the transmission of COVID-19.

Please be patient as we as Stephen Ministers, and as a Church, navigate with the ever-changing protocols of life during these difficult times.
faith formation
Explore Catholicism
We’ve been thinking about you!   Join us for Q&A sessions about the Catholic Faith for all people and all backgrounds. These sessions are a safe place to explore your spirituality with people who care. 

If you’ve been thinking about becoming a member of the Catholic Church, or you're simply interested in learning more about Catholicism, we invite you to attend. 

Then, if you're interested in continuing this journey of faith, you’ll be welcomed into the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) or another Sacramental Preparation program depending on your personal journey. Meet us on Zoom!

AUGUST 16 and/or 23
10:00-11:00 AM

For questions and Zoom meeting link, email kward@saintpats.org
Year of the Eucharist
Archbishop Etienne began Year of the Eucharist on the Feast of Corpus Christi for the Archdiocese of Seattle and asked us to spend this time pondering the true presence of Jesus's Sacred Body and Blood in the Eucharist. Read his pastoral letter, " The Work of Redemption. "
FAITH at HOME with FORMED.ORG
To sign up:
  1. Click http://signup.formed.org/
  2. Enter our parish zip 98403 or name St. Patrick
  3. Enter your name and email
stewardship
Weekly Offertory
An offertory collection basket is located at the back of the sanctuary during Mass to allow for contactless giving. If you are unable to attend Mass in person, please mail in your gift or consider Online Giving—Fr. David gives this way! It is safe and easy.
How Do You Double Your Annual Catholic Appeal Gift? -...

How do you double your Annual Catholic Appeal gift? Most companies have a Matching Gift Program - that is how. Many companies match the Annual Catholic Appeal. You can double your gift to the ACA in a few easy steps. Yes! Do you know if your...

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www.saintpats.org
Annual Catholic Appeal 2020
The campaign is wrapping up, but we still have a ways to go with an average combined participation rate of less than 32% for the parishes of St. Patrick, Holy Cross and St. Rita of Cascia. Click here for our weekly update by parish.

If you have already made your gift - THANK YOU! If not, please consider making a gift this year. Nearly 70% of our parish households have not responded yet. No gift   is too small . If you’re unsure what to give, please consider a gift of $1 a day or $365 or more. The average gift is $417.
 
Your gift will support more than 60 ministries and services that are offered to thousands of individuals across Western Washington. In addition, this year, a 10% ‘tithe’ from ACA 2020 donations, excluding rebates will be placed in a  Parish Solidarity Fund  for those parishes severely financially impacted as a result of the suspension of public Masses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Go online to  https://donate.seattlearchdiocese.org/aca  or use a pledge envelope. If you’d rather call in your gift to the Appeal Office at 800-809-4921.
advocacy
Civilize It: COMPASSION
U.S. Bishops invite Catholics to model compassion and respectful dialogue with their families, communities, and parishes, and call on others to do the same.  Join the U.S. Bishops’ Civilize It campaign to help promote civil dialogue.  Learn more .
Action Alert 
Catholic schools have been affected by COVID-19, and they need your help. Urge our U.S. Senators to support the Alexander-Scott “School Choice Now Act.” This act will help our Catholic schools by providing emergency funding for scholarship-granting organizations and provide permanent dollar-for-dollar tax credits for contributions to scholarship granting organizations. This act may help the Fulcrum Foundation and other organizations supporting Catholic education. Take action now!
our school
Remote Learning Kicks-Off the 2020-2021 Academic Year -...

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have followed and continue to follow the guidance of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department on...

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www.saintpats.org
Be social, while social distancing!
Get connected. Stay connected.