Upcoming Events and Opportunities

This page lists upcoming events taking place in the St. Monica Church Community and around the Archdiocese of Seattle. For information on additional Catholics events, retreats, and programs in the greater Seattle area, we recommend checking out the Archdiocese of Seattle event webpage (archseattle.org/eventslist) and the Catholic event page on the Sacred Heart Radio website (sacredheartradio.org/catholic-events-page). Towards the bottom of this page, we've listed some of our parish's weekly and monthly groups and events. Click here to jump to the recurring events section.

Stations & Swing Event

Young Adults are invited to join Seattle Catholic Dance Crew for Stations & Swing on Friday, April 11th! We will pray Stations of the Cross at Blessed Sacrament Church, Seattle at 7:00PM. Following stations, we will teach a dance workshop of country swing and line dancing at St. Matthew Parish, Seattle. Young adults ages 21-35 are welcome to join! Parking can be found to the left of the church at St. Matthew's.To keep in the loop with all things SCDC, visit catholicdancecrew.org/seattle

Or follow Seattle Catholic Dance Crew on Instagram. 

Lenten Book Discussion

Father Nagel will be hosting an opportunity to discuss our Lenten Book, “Searching for and Maintaining Peace”. The discussion will take place on Saturday, April 12, from 10AM-11AM in the Family Center.

Another opportunity to discuss the book will be offered at Sacred Heart on Saturday, April 5, from 11AM-12PM.

Palm Sunday (April 13)

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. “Holy Week is ordered to the commemoration of Christ’s Passion, beginning with his Messianic entrance into Jerusalem” (Universal Norms, 31).

Palms will be blessed at all weekend Masses (5PM, 9AM, 11AM, and 1PM) and will be available for parishioners for the liturgy and to take home.

Do you have palms from last year? Because the palms from Palm Sunday are blessed, they must be disposed of in an appropriate manner. If you have any old palms, we invite you to drop them off in the designated bin in the main church vestibule or bring them to the parish office. Once all of the old palms are collected, they will be burnt.

CRS Rice Bowl Alms

On Palm Sunday, we will gather the alms collected in Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowls. Please write a check to St. Monica with “Rice bowl” written in the Memo line for the amount you collected in your Rice bowl. Alternatively, you may bring your rice bowl to the church on Palm Sunday and place it in the basket in the main vestibule.

Holy Thursday (April 17)

By participation in the Easter Triduum, we celebrate the full truth and mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

• There is no morning Mass on Holy Thursday.
• The Easter Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00PM on Holy Thursday. This Mass memorializes the Institution of the Eucharist where, at the Last Supper, “Christ offered his Body and Blood to the Father under the appearance of bread and wine”. (Ceremonial of Bishops no. 297) At the beginning of Mass, the Tabernacle is empty. The Mass starts with the reception of the new Holy Oils. During Mass, twelve parishioners participate in the rite of the washing of feet. At the end of Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is processed to a temporary Altar of repose. Parishioners are welcome to pray with our Lord at this place of repose until 10PM. Everyone departs in silence.

Good Friday (April 18)

On Good Friday, Catholics age 14+ are required to abstain from eating meat, and Catholics ages 18-59 observe a paschal fast in honor of the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus.

• There is no morning Mass on Good Friday.
• Stations of the Cross will be prayed as a community at 3:00PM on Good Friday. Booklets are provided for participants to follow along in praying this devotion.
• There is no evening Adoration on Good Friday.
• The Easter Triduum continues with the Celebration of The Passion of the Lord at 7:00PM on Good Friday. After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Altar will have been stripped of the Altar cloth and candles, and the tabernacle is left empty. The clergy enter the Sanctuary in silence and prostrate themselves before the bare Altar in veneration. The Lord’s Passion according to St. John is solemnly proclaimed by multiple readers. The presider processes into the church with a large wooden crucifix. As he removes a shroud, he sings, “Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world.” All respond, “Come, let us adore.” The congregation is then invited to come forward to venerate the cross themselves. Holy Communion is distributed.
  

Holy Saturday (April 19)

• There is no morning Mass on Holy Saturday.
• The Easter Triduum concludes with the Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30PM on Holy Saturday. This is the “greatest and most noble of all solemnities”. (The Roman Missal) Mass begins at the Easter fire, outside the church entrance. The Paschal Candle is lit from the fire and processed into the dark church, signifying Christ Our Light’s radiant victory over the darkness of sin. The Exsultet is sung, and the congregation listens to a series of Old Testament readings and Psalms, to “meditate on how God in times past saved his people”. (The Roman Missal pg. 217) The congregation joins in singing the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo as the altar candles are lit and bells are rung. The Epistle is read and the Gospel is proclaimed. Following the Homily, we joyfully welcome the Catechumens who are reborn in Baptism and Candidates who enter into full communion with the Catholic Church through Confirmation. The Vigil is completed with the celebration of the Eucharist. Those who receive communion at the Vigil may receive again on Easter Sunday.

Easter Vigil Reception

Do you like cake? Then you're in luck! You are invited to a Reception Immediately Following the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday to celebrate those who, at the Easter Vigil, will have been Baptized, Confirmed, and received into full Communion with the Catholic Church!

We recognize that the Easter Vigil will begin rather late this year (8:30PM), and thusly that the Mass will also conclude on the late side. Still, we hope that many of you will choose to stay up for just a little while longer and attend this reception to congratulate our newest brothers and sisters in Christ.

Have you been craving something that you gave up for Lent? The Easter Vigil Reception is also an opportunity for us to break our Lenten fasts together as a community. The church will be providing cake, fruit, and punch, but this year our celebration is also an ‘optional potluck’. If you feel so called, you’re encouraged to bring a food you gave up for Lent or a favorite Easter dish to share. Potluck items can be dropped off in the family center before the Easter Vigil begins.

Easter Sunday (April 20)

• Our Easter Sunday Mass times are 9:00AM, 11:00AM, and 1:00PM (Chinese). (Coffee & Donuts will not be offered on Easter Sunday.) The St. Monica Parish staff pray that you all have a blessed Easter Season!
• The Easter Season: But wait, there’s more! Easter doesn’t end after Sunday. The Season of Easter lasts all the way until June 8, when the Church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost. The Archdiocese of Seattle has put together a webpage for Easter (archseattle.org/Easter) where they provide information on the Feasts and Solemnities of the Easter Season. This page also provides ideas for additional ways you can celebrate the joy of Easter in your daily life.
• The Octave of Easter: Within the Easter Season, the initial eight-day period (beginning on Easters Sunday and concluding on Divine Mercy Sunday) is highlighted as a time of special celebration. The high altar candles are lit at all Masses and the church remains decorated. If your schedule allows, we encourage you to attend Mass on these days.

Divine Mercy Sunday

On the Second Sunday of Easter, April 27, we celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy.

In the 1930s, Jesus appeared to a polish nun, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, and shared with her the message of Divine Mercy. She recorded these private revelations in her diary. Jesus requested fourteen times that a Feast of Mercy be established, that it might “be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners.” (Diary, no. 699) Saint Faustina was canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II on April 30, 2000. Five days later, it was decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter be accordingly known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

Join members of the Legion of Mary on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, at 2:30PM in the Church to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Rosary.

Pamphlets with instructions on how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the nine days of intentions leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday are available in the main church vestibule.

The novena of Divine Mercy is prayed beginning on Good Friday and concludes on the Feast of Divine Mercy.

Holy Hoedown 2025—School Auction

Block your calendars for the biggest event of the year - The Holy Hoedown is May 3rd from 4-10pm. We can't wait to celebrate with you and raise money for a cause dear to all of our hearts, our kids! 

To help make this event successful we absolutely need your help in procuring fabulous items to be auctioned off on the big day. We've developed a wish list of items that we would love for you to consider when planning your donations. (As a reminder, all school families are required to procure and donate an item of $200 value or more.) You can donate an item yourself or team up with others for larger items. You can find the WISH LIST HERE. Once you decide on an item to donate, make it official and register it HERE. All items need to be in by 4/14. 

We are also in need of sponsors and would love for you to consider supporting the event. By sponsoring the Holy Hoedown, you help us underwrite the expense of putting on the biggest community event and fundraiser of the year - so that every dollar raised goes directly to the school and most importantly, benefits our students. As a sponsor, hundreds of Parish and School families will notice your business and its generous donation. Please consider being an event sponsor at whatever level is most meaningful to you. More details on how to sponsor the event can be found here.

Finally, we will need your help to put this event on! We have hay to move, tables to setup, volunteers to wrangle and we need EVERY ranch hand available. Please find a way to help out! Volunteer for the Hoedown

Thank you so much in advance for being such strong advocates and members of SMCS. Together we create our community, we create positive spaces for our kids to explore and learn, we keep Catholic tuition affordable -- and it truly takes all of us to make this happen. Thank you for being a committed partner. 

- Get involved, help fundraise, help put this event on! We NEED you! – 

Iron Sharpens Iron

Refined through love: Becoming the man you are called to be.

The 12th Seattle Catholic Men’s Conference will take place on May 24 at Holy Rosary Parish in Edmonds. Learn more, check out this year’s conference presenters, and register by visiting the conference website: seattlemensconference.org.

Questions? Contact James McCullough (206-235-6526) or Soren Suver (631-374-8121.

Archdiocese 175th

May 31, 2025 is the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Seattle, founded in 1850. A special 175th Anniversary Mass will be celebrated with all the bishops and concelebrated with many other priests from the area. Visit archseattle.org/175 for more information.

Registration for this Summer’s Vacation Bible School is now open!

Come spend a while on the Nile! Registration for Vacation Bible School (VBS) is now open! Join us this summer as we adventure through ancient Egypt. Your child will join an Egyptian family and meet Old Testament hero, Joseph, as he journeys from prison to the palace of Pharaoh. This weeklong program includes fun, faith-filled activities, and games, and like Joseph, your child will learn that God gives each of us hope, unique abilities, wisdom, forgiveness, and family. VBS will be held at St. Monica Catholic Church on June 23-27. Please register early, space is limited. We are still recruiting volunteers (both teens and adults) to help put on this great program! Learn how YOU can help this year with VBS! Click here to access our VBS webpage where you can register or sign up to be a volunteer! If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Stewart at faithforward@stmonicami.org.

Quo Vadis Days (June 26-29)

Quo Vadis Days is an amazing 4-day overnight camp for high school men grades 9-12 with priests and seminarians from the Archdiocese of Seattle will provide participants the opportunity to learn more about the priesthood, deepen their faith, and better discern God’s call in their lives. Space is limited to 60 participants. (Nominal fee of $50 can be waived in cases of need.) Register by scanning the QR code above, or by visiting archseattle.org/qvd25.

Questions? Email vocations@seattlearch.org

Register Now For Summer Youth Conferences!

Summer Youth Conference Registration is open now! Join High School Youth Ministry at Steubenville Northwest in Spokane, WA and Ignite Your Torch Northwest in Portland, OR! All current 8th through 12th grade students are invited to join and bring a friend! Step out of your routine and give a weekend to see what God wants to do in your life alongside other young people who are doing the same! Steubenville NW is July 11-13, and Ignite NW is July 16-20. Register before May 1 for the earlybird prices! Please email sharon@stmonicami.org for registration details. We hope to see you this summer!

Golf FORE Seminarians

We’ve got our eagle eyes set on summer. The Archbishop's Golf Tournament is the Archdiocese of Seattle’s premier fundraising event to benefit seminarian education. Click here for more information!

Lenten Soup Suppers

Catholics 14+ are obligated to abstain from meat on Fridays. Join us each Friday of Lent (starting March 7), from 6PM to 7PM in the Family Center, for a community meal of meatless soup. All are welcome to attend! Each Soup Supper is hosted by a different group of volunteers. Most Fridays are already covered, but if you would like to assist, please contact to Tony Brooks tony@stmonicami.org.

Friday Evening Adoration

Our regular Friday evening Eucharistic Adoration and Confessions will continue through Lent, every Friday from 6PM to 7PM. Please note that this held at the same time as the Friday Lenten Soup Supper meal.

Stations of the Cross

Every Friday of Lent (starting March 7) the Stations of the Cross will be prayed as a group in the church. Stations will begin at 7PM, immediately following Friday Adoration and the Soup Supper. It will be led by one of our priests. Participation booklets for the Stations of the Cross will be staged in the church vestibules.

Feeling too ill for Mass?

The general obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is excused for those who are ill or are homebound. If you are unable to attend Mass for valid reason, we encourage you to make use of our Mass Livestream which can be accessed at stmonicami.org/livestream.

It’s much more than just Coffee & Donuts!

Don’t pass on the opportunity to join us every Sunday after Mass for an hour of Coffee & Donuts. More than simply an opportunity for a sugary treat and a cup of coffee, this time is an important chance for each of us to form deeper connections with the other members of our parish community. We encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to someone you don’t know.

Want to help host Coffee and Donuts? Volunteers set-up, facilitate, and clean-up each Coffee & Donuts hour to cultivate an environment where our faith can grow in relationship with each other. If you’d like to help, please contact Gloria Hardy at the parish office at gloria@stmonicami.org or simply talk to one of the volunteers hosting coffee and donuts on a given Sunday.

Knights of Columbus Meetings

Knights of Columbus want to invite all men of the Parish to join them at their Council meetings held on the first Monday of every month. The meetings are held at 6:30PM in the Parish Office dining room (accessed via the front office entrance).

A life of faith in action, a life of boldness in brotherhood, a life worth living.

For more information, please contact:

Grand Knight Reed Nagel at jacknreed@hotmail.com.

Legion of Mary Meetings

The Legion of Mary group meets every Tuesday morning after the 7:45AM Mass in the St. Augustine Room. Legion of Mary is a world-wide movement of lay people, who propose making Faith the goal of their life in an effort to achieve personal sanctity. The virtue of Holiness in the life of the members of the Legion is promoted under the influence of Mary and the Holy Spirit. This becomes the source of inspiration for Legion work, which is under the direction of our Pastor, Fr. Nagel. He has asked the Legion to take Holy Communion to the homebound, providing the Real Presence of Jesus to them.

For more information, please contact:

Francis Chang (Parishioner) 425-442-3478

Helga Osborn (Parishioner) 206-232-2328

Cooking for the Homeless

Every Tuesday, volunteers of the Friends of the Needy ministry meet at St. Monica’s kitchen at 10:30AM to cook a four-course hot dinner for later delivery. Want to volunteer? Come for an hour or the afternoon, every Tuesday or as often as you like. Experience the joyful camaraderie in the kitchen from preparing the ingredients to washing the dishes. For more information, please contact:

Karen Zimmer (Head Cook) karenzimmer@comcast.net 253-273-6704

Rosary Makers

Rosary Makers is a wonderful group of people who get together every week on Wednesdays in the St. Augustine Room to make Rosaries for the Catholic missions. All are welcome to come and make rosaries or gather the materials to work at home. 

For more information, please contact:

Joyce Kaifer (Parishioner) 425-644-2518

Bringing Holy Communion to the Homebound

Every Wednesday morning immediately after the 7:45AM Mass, members of the Legion of Mary bring the Communion to homebound parishioners who are unable to attend Mass in person. If you or a loved one are physically unable to attend Mass and would like to receive Communion, please contact the parish office to receive more information on this ministry. 

Walking with Purpose

Calling all Women 18 and over! Women’s Group Bible Study - Walking with Purpose starts Thursday, September 26th at 8:30AM. Come on the first day and see if it’s for you! Sign up if you know it’s for you!

Join us as we grab our coffee, get real, lean into our relationships with Christ and transform our hearts…together!

Our Bible study combines personal study with small group discussion, linking everyday challenges to the solutions given to us through the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church. If you desire to grow in your faith - in a supportive community of Catholic women - this group is for you! So much more than a Bible study! Our program runs weekly, September 26th - May 29th. Thursdays, 8:30-10:30am in the Family Center.

Click here to register. Questions? Contact Niki Baklinski 206-940-6453, vbaklinski@gmail.com

Monthly Chinese Family Rosary Meeting

Come join our monthly Chinese rosary zoom meeting hosted by the Seattle Chinese Catholic Community on the 4th Saturday of each month from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. We will recite the rosary in Mandarin and Cantonese. Please email us at info@seattlechinesecatholic.org or leave a message at 206-458‐1430 to get the zoom meeting information.

歡迎大家參加由西雅圖天主教華人團體舉辦的網上家庭玫瑰經聚會。聚會時間為每月第四個星期六下午1:30至2:30。有興趣參加的，請email info@seattlechinesecatholic.org 或致電206-458‐1430索取Zoom聚會資料。

Friends of the Needy Drivers Needed

Is there anyone who would not help their brother or sister? Christ has said, “the less fortunate are our bothers and sisters”. We are in need of 5 more drivers to help feed the 12 different shelter and food banks that we now deliver food to from our most generous donor Metropolitan Market!

If you could spare just 2 or 3 hours once a month that would fulfill our obligation to feed the hungry. If you volunteer you can choose the day of the month that you would drive each month. Please give this some thought and if you would like to just discuss the opportunity, please call me, Bob Kessler, at (206) 276-0515 or email rar811@me.com. Thank you!