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 and the Sacred Heart Radio Event Webpage. If you have any questions about this page, please contact Tony Brooks, PA for Communication, 206-232-2900 x.131; tony@stmonicami.org.

Called By Name

Do you know someone (aged 16-35) who might be called to the priesthood or religious life? Prayerfully consider those you know who show signs of a call through their love of the Lord, our Church, and their heart of service. Then nominate them at archseattle.org/called-by-name on Called By Name weekend (Jan 31 & Feb 1).

Divorce and Beyond

Gift yourself the experience of healing from divorce. Are you trying to get past the pain of divorce? Are you feeling “stuck” in pain and hurt? St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue is thrilled to be offering “Divorce & Beyond”. Whether you have been divorced for a long time or just recently divorced, you deserve to experience peace and joy again! This is an excellent 10 week Christian based program of healing and recovery from divorce. Interested? We will meet on Mondays, 6:30-8PM at St Louise Parish, beginning, February 16th. The cost is $15 and scholarships are available.  If you’d like more information or would like to sign up, contact Dave Gehrig at 425-214-5466 or email divorceandbeyond@stlouise.org.

Office Closed Monday

The parish office will be closed on Monday, February 16, in observance of the President’s Day national holiday. There will be no change from the regular Sacrament/Liturgy schedule.

Chapel Closed for Cleaning

The Adoration Chapel will be closed for cleaning from 10AM-2PM on Tuesday, February 17.

Ash Wednesday — Beginning our Lenten Journey to Easter

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18. While it is not a holy day of obligation, this is a day of penance in our communal life as Christians. Catholics ages 14+ are obligated to abstain from eating meat, and Catholics ages 18 to 59 are obligated to observe this day through fasting. (Fasting is defined as at most eating only one full meal and two small meals which together do not equal a full meal, with nothing in between meals.) Our Ash Wednesday Schedule is:

• 7:15-7:35AM Confessions
• 9:00AM Mass with Distribution of Ashes (*The regular 7:45AM morning Mass is cancelled on Ash Wednesday.)
• 12:00PM Liturgy Service with Distribution of Ashes
• 6:30PM Mass with Distribution of Ashes (Incense will be used)

Lent is a time of preparing to enter more fully into the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection at the Easter Triduum.

Resources For Your Lent

Stop by the church vestibule and pick up some resources to help make the most of this Lent.

The Little Black Book 2026 is a daily devotional booklet which reflects on Christ’s Passion according to Mark’s Gospel.

Rice Bowls encourage you to give alms in support of the poor.

The Practice of the Presence of God will be our parishioner book for Lent. Unfortunately, the copies of this book have not yet arrived. Watch for them soon!

Mass Settings Change for Lent

Hello St. Monica Community!

As we approach Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, I want to share a brief note regarding a change in our liturgy. Throughout this penitential season, we will transition our Mass settings from English to Latin and Greek.

For those wondering, “Mass settings” are the musical compositions of the fixed portions of the liturgy, known as the Ordinary: the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, and Agnus Dei. While we typically sing contemporary English versions of these prayers, the season of Lent invites us to look back toward our deep Catholic traditions and the solemn contemplation that these ancient languages encourage.

As Pope Benedict XVI noted in Sacramentum Caritatis, "Everything related to the Eucharist should be marked by beauty." Pope Benedict emphasized that the use of Latin is not about exclusion, but about preserving a "sacred vocabulary" that connects us to the universal Church across time and space. Even the Kyrie, though sung in its original Greek, serves as a profound historical link to the very beginnings of Christian worship, reminding us of our ancient roots.

We encourage our congregation to look at these changes as an invitation to enter a season of deeper reverence and interior silence as we use language set apart for the Catholic worship of God. St. Augustine taught that "he who sings prays twice.” When we sing in the traditional language of the Church, we join a timeless chorus of saints and lay Catholics going back to the very beginning. I urge you not to look at this change not as a critique of our familiar English prayers, but rather a seasonal journey into the "solemnity and dignity" that Pope St. John Paul II argued was essential for the liturgy. We hope this beauty helps you find a contemplative spirit as we move together toward the joy of Easter.”

God bless,

Ryan Sprute, PA for Liturgy at St. Monica 

ryan@stmonicami.org

Rosary Novena For Life

The Knights of Columbus will be sponsoring a Rosary for Life Novena. This will consist of saying the rosary with a special prayer for life. The schedule for this novena will be as follows:

Thursday, Feb 19: Rosary after the 7:45AM morning Mass.

Friday, Feb 20: Rosary during evening Adoration from 6PM-6:30PM.

Saturday, Feb 21: Rosary after the 7:45AM morning Mass.

Sunday, Feb 22: Rosary said at home with family.

Monday, Feb 23: Rosary after the 7:45AM morning Mass.

Tuesday, Feb 24: Rosary after the 7:45AM morning Mass.

Wednesday, Feb 25: Rosary after the 7:45AM morning Mass.

Thursday, Feb 26: Rosary after the 7:45AM morning Mass.

Friday, Feb 27: Rosary during evening Adoration from 6PM-6:30PM.

We hope you’ll join us in praying specifically for the protection of the sanctity of life during these nine days.

Eucharistic Adoration

During Lent, our Friday evenings will begin with Eucharist Adoration and Confessions in the church from 6:00PM-6:30PM.

Stations of the Cross

On Fridays during Lent, the Stations of the Cross will be prayed in the church from 6:30PM-7:00PM. Booklets for participating will be provided.

Lenten Soup Suppers

Following stations of the cross, on each Friday of Lent, from 7:00PM-8:00PM there will be a meatless soup supper. Each week will be hosted by a different ministry or group from our parish community.

Friday Abstinence

Every Friday, Catholics of 14 years of age and older are asked by the Church to abstain from eating meat as penance. Outside of Lent, it is customary to allow the lay faithful to substitute abstinence for another form of penance. During Lent, abstinence from eating meat on Fridays is held as an obligation for Catholics 14 years of age and older.

Lunar New Year Celebration!

The Seattle Chinese Catholic Community would like to invite you to celebrate the Lunar New Year at St. Monica Catholic Church on Sunday, February 22, 2026. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne will concelebrate the 1pm Sunday Mass with Fr. Kurt Nagel and Fr. Joseph Tran, followed by the Ancestral Veneration and a reception. Everyone is welcome to bring a dessert or a snack to share.

Walking with Purpose Lenten Special!

The Walking with Purpose, Women’s Bible Study group will soon be starting a new book. Can’t make the normal morning meeting time? Just for Lent, we are going to offer both the normal Thursday morning meetings and an additional evening meetings option! A perfect time to increase your prayer life during this special season. Living in the Father’s Love will be a powerful study to discover just how much the Father loves us! Plan on it! Click here to register for this study! Below is an overview or our current meeting schedule. This schedule will be updated as any changes arise.

Sunday Morning Coffee & Donuts

High School 6:35 Youth Group will be hosting our Sunday morning Coffee and Donuts on March 1. Youth can contact Sharon Phillips to join this service opportunity. Not a youth but still want to help with Coffee and Donuts? Visit stmonicami.org/CoffeeAndDonuts!

Middle School Encounter (MS Youth)

March 21, 2026 | 9:30am–5pm at Kennedy Catholic High School. For students in grades 6-8*: Join hundreds of middle school students from across the archdiocese for an exciting day of inspiring speakers, music, worship and fun. Discover new joy, deepen your faith and be inspired to live boldly— you are Saints in the Making. Click here to learn more!

*Students attend with their parish or school youth group, school or chaperone.

Parish Family Lenten Mission

This Lent, our Parish Family will have a joint parish mission led by Fr. Michael Joyce, O.Carm. Fr. Joyce is currently serving as the Director of Vocations for the Carmelite Order in the U.S. and Canada. During the mission he will speak on the themes of prayer in the Carmelite tradition and personal discernment. This mission will be a chance to step back, put all things in our life into perspective, and evaluate if our priorities and actions reflect the values Christ teaches!

The Mission will be held at St. Monica Catholic Church on the evenings of:

• Monday, March 23
• Tuesday, March 24
• Wednesday, March 25

Each night of the Mission will be starting at 6:30PM and will be different than the other evenings. We sincerely hope that all parishioners from both Sacred Heart and Saint Monica will save these dates and attend each night as a parish family.

St. Monica School Auction

This year’s Holy Hoedown school auction will be on Saturday, May 2, at SoDo Park in Seattle. All are invited! Love a good cause? Parish, school, and community members can purchase tickets for the event by visiting the Holy Hoedown 2026 event site. Click here to buy your tickets! We look forward to seeing you there!!

What can you do to support the big event?! Glad you asked! We are currently seeking donations (items, experiences, and monetary contributions). Check out our wish-list or log a donation by going to the Item Donation tab of the auction site. Small businesses are also invited to sponsor the event in exchange for gratitude and visibility within our amazing community! Please have them contact Haley at hhankins@stmonicasea.org.

Steubenville Northwest Conference (HS Youth)

Join our HS 6:35 group at this summer’s Steubenville Northwest Conference from July 10-12 in Spokane! Hundreds of teens will gather from across the northwest to grow in faith, connection, prayer, and fellowship with the guidance of speakers like Sister Josephine Garrett, Chris Frank, and more! REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW! Click here for more info and registration.

Ignite NW Conference (HS Youth)

Join our HS 6:35 group at this summer’s Ignite NW Conference from July 22-26! Ignite NW invites young people into a deeper relationship with God and neighbor through sacred liturgy, authentic community, and faithful intellectual formation at an annual Catholic youth conference. Grounded in the truths about God, self, and nature, participants encounter the treasures of the Catholic Faith so that they are capable of confidently living the Gospel and critically engaging the world. Click here for more info and registration.

ASCEND Eucharistic Revival 

This moment is a time to refresh and renew our hearts in hope and ignite a deeper love for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The ASCEND Eucharistic Revival is a movement dedicated to renewing love of and devotion to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Rooted in prayer, teaching and worship, the event seeks to draw individuals and communities deeper into the mystery of God’s love by better understanding the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Through encounters, formation and sacraments, ASCEND inspires the faithful to live and carry Eucharistic joy in this world. By lifting hearts and minds to God, the revival fosters unity, love of neighbor, healing, and a renewed sense of mission in the church today. 

Mark your calendars for May 16, 2026 and join us in drawing deeper into the mystery of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. For details on this special one-day event, to sign up for alerts, volunteer, and/or support ASCEND through donations, please visit www.ascendeucharisticrevival.church. 

Lifeteen Summer Camp (MS Youth)

Join Kelsey, our middle school youth minister, on a week-long summer camp "where faith, fun, and unforgettable memories all collide. From messy games to powerful worship nights, every moment is designed to help teens feel seen, known, and loved - and to walk away with a faith that's stronger and a joy that lasts."

Space is limited! The application is open to current 6-8th graders, now through February 28th. Click here for more information and to apply!

Washington State Catholic Conference 

The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) is the common voice of the Catholic Bishops of the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Diocese of Spokane, and the Diocese of Yakima. They encourage advocacy in public policy as we work together for the common good to create a society that recognizes the dignity of every human person. Visit wacatholics.org to learn more.

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 on our Livestream page.

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). For more information, please visit the Knights of Columbus page.

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 visit the Legion of Mary page.

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 visit the Friends of the Needy page.

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 the parish office.

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. 

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.