Weekly pastor’s post (October 8)

The model for all faith formation programs!

This last week I was able to sit down with not one, not two, but three different faith formation volunteer teams. Our First Holy Communion parent orientation was on Thursday, our adult catechesis (OCIA) team met that evening and our Confirmation team met on Saturday. With their help, Saint Mark parish is moving ahead with all three of these sacramental preparation programs. It is no exaggeration to say that without the generous help of these faithful & enthusiastic parishioners, our faith formation program would not be possible. I am so very grateful for their willingness to assist in the work of passing on the faith to our children, youth, and adults.

By the way, its not too late to volunteer for any of these programs! With all three programs scheduled & mapped out, it is easy to slip into any of them – and its a great opportunity to share your faith with others! We’d be happy to have you.

If you came to the 10:30 am Mass this weekend, you will have noticed that we are once again including the use of incense. Our altar servers were super excited at the prospect of re-introducing this to regular practice – and they weren’t the only ones! I love the smell of the incense, the sight of the smoke as it curls around the altar, and the symbolism of the gestures of incensing the altar, the Book of the Gospel, the gifts before consecration, the priest, and the people. Since this will be a feature of the 10:30 am Mass for the foreseeable future, I hope to offer more insight into the meaning of this rich tradition in our faith.

By the way, if you’re interested in doing reading on the liturgy yourself, you can’t go wrong with anything written by Bishop Peter Elliott. One of my favorite books is his Liturgical Question Box: Answers to Common Questions About the Modern Liturgy. Though written as a Q&A, it is pretty easy to read straight through – at least, if you’re a fan of the liturgy! I highly recommend this book, as well as any others written by him.

As always, know of my prayers for you. I hope you have a wonderful week.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

P.S. Remember that this is the last week to offer your input on Partners in the Gospel. The online form for general public input (click this sentence to use it) will be closing at the end of this week (Friday). If you haven’t yet offered your feedback – or have more feedback to give – take the time to offer it today!


October 9 – “Lets make like Saint Denis and head off” was one of the go-to lines of one of my seminary classmates at Mundelein. Though we all found the pun hilarious, it always struck me as a mite inappropriate to tease about one of the early Christian martyrs in this way….. until I read up on Saint Denis and discovered that he actually did head off after his head was taken off!

Legend tells us that upon being beheaded, Saint Denis picked up his head and walked several miles – preaching all the while on repentance! Read more about Saint Denis and his companions at My Catholic Life, whose memorial celebration is today.

October 10 – As you may have heard, a priest of the archdiocese and one of my friends, Father Paul Kaech, died early last week after suffering a massive heart attack in his rectory at Saint Edward parish in Shelton. He was 59 years old.

I first met Father Paul at Saint John Seminary in Camarillo (California), where we both studied. Many years my senior, he nonetheless treated me – and all those around him – with a kindness and care that formed the foundation of his desire to serve the Lord. As priests, we had occasion to serve together briefly in Lewis & Pacific County and I was edified to see how his natural gifts were a blessing to his parishioners.

Whether by family & friends, brother priests, or parishioners, he will be deeply missed. His funeral Mass is today at Saint Edward parish. You can read a little about Father Paul at the Northwest Catholic. In your kindness, please say a prayer for the repose of his soul and the consolation of his loved ones.

October 11 – Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint John XXIII, most commonly known for having convened the Second Vatican Council. As I was reading up on him for this entry, I came across this National Catholic Register article about his preparation for the Council, which included a pilgrimage to Loreto and Assisi – on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, no less!

Though often misunderstood, Vatican II is the most influential movement of the Church in our time, though the vision of the Council fathers and the movement of the Holy Spirit therein have yet to be fully realized. Even as we explore how to fully live into the aggiornamento of the Council, we thank God for inspiring Pope John XXIII and for His continued care for the Church. Read more about Saint John XXIII at Word on Fire.

Partners in the Gospel parish session summary (September 28, 2023)

Thank you again to all who participated in our parish input session on Parish Family 13 – the proposed parish family of which Saint Mark parish is a part. We had 13 tables, with about 106 parishioners participating.

Below is a collation of the summary documents from each table – this has also been submitted to the archdiocese for prayerful reading & discernment by the archbishop & those who are advising him.

If you would like to submit further feedback (or feedback for the first time), please use the button below. Please note that this online input form is available for a limited time (this is the last week for input).

Let us together pray for the Partners in the Gospel process, for all of us here in the archdiocese, and for the archbishop.

2023 09 28 Parish Family Input, Parishioner Session (Saint Mark, Shoreline)

Divine Mercy chaplet & funeral Mass for James Donald Arthur (Friday, October 6, 2023)

Divine Mercy chaplet & Funeral Mass for James Donald Arthur
Friday, October 6, 2023
10:45 am (Divine Mercy Chaplet)
11:00 am (Mass)

Good morning,

The family of James Arthur would like to invite Saint Mark parish to join them in offering the Divine Mercy chaplet and the funeral Mass to be offered for him tomorrow, October 6, 2023. The Divine Mercy chaplet will be prayed at 10:45 am, with the funeral Mass following at 11:00 am – all are welcome. The family has prepared an obituary, which can be read online (click here).

Let us pray together for James, his family, and all who love them. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul rest in peace. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Peace,
Saint Mark parish

Weekly pastor’s post (October 1)

The only torch with which I am truly comfortable!
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Last week we had our formal parish feedback session. I must admit that I was nervous about what it might look like – would there be torches and pitchforks….or possibly no one at all? I needn’t have worried about any of that: we had over 100 people show up and all of them came with thoughtful, enthusiastic, and generously offered input to offer. While some of the conversation was indeed charged, I found it to be fruitful and oriented towards being truly helpful. I look forward to having it transcribed for you to read yourselves – and most importantly, for the archbishop and his advisors to consider.

If you couldn’t make it to that session – or you have more input to offer – the archdiocese has gone live with their online public comment form. As I understand it, the window for submitting input ends towards the end of the month, so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity soon.

As I mentioned in last week’s pastor’s post, one of the continuing takeaways for me in all of this is the emphasis on community. There is such a blessing in coming together in prayer, discussion, and simply enjoying being together. It is a helpful – and timely – reminder that I need to be deliberate in choosing to spend time with others: family, friends, and members of the community.

On a lighter note, may I introduce you to Gravity Falls? One of our parishioners enthusiastically recommended this 2012 television series to me – even going so far as to offer a truly delightful 3-page write up on why the series is one of the best animated offerings out there. I promised to watch it when I had the chance, which I was finally able to do over the last couple of weeks.

I am happy to report that it was a joy to watch! Coming in at exactly 40 episodes (roughly 30 minutes each), the show is one that I think most adults & children will enjoy – though I think it is probably best saved for children in the later grades of middle school (11+ years old). If you’re looking for a wholesome – but frequently surprisingly thoughtful – light fare for you and your family, this might be just the thing to check out!

In any case, I hope you have a wonderful week! As always, rest assured of my prayers.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer


October 1 – Though Sundays always trump memorials in liturgical celebrations, today is nonetheless a wonderful celebration – the memorial of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. She is also called ‘the Little Flower’ because of her dedication to great love through small actions. Read more at the Society of the Little Flower website.

October 2 – The memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels centers around Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:10: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” May we be sure to call upon the angels – especially our guardian angels – inviting them to guide us in our daily discernment of God’s will. And though it was posted on last week’s feast of the archangels, you may enjoy this art from Allan Rohan Crite of the angels at prayer with us.

October 4 – Every year we celebrate the memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, both at Mass and with an annual blessing of pets. We’ll be having the blessing of pets around 8:45 am in the school parking lot this Wednesday. You are most welcome to bring your pet – leashed or well-contained – for the blessing. Later that day – at 6:30 pm in the parish church – we will celebrate the memorial with Mass and a light reception hosted by the Friends of Saint Francis group.

October 7 – Today is the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. This celebration holds a special place in my heart, as it is the namesake of my years as a priest and later, my first pastorship. Though the parish has since closed, it was that community who accompanied me through some especially formative experiences as a priest and as a leader. In your kindness, please join in me in praying for the parishioners of Holy Rosary, Tacoma, who are still finding their way to and in their new parishes.

The rosary itself is also dear to me. When I find myself without the right words or prayers – which is often! – reciting the familiar prayers of the rosary helps ground my thoughts & feelings. As the beads slip through my fingers, I am reminded that I, too, am a part of the Holy Family – both a brother of the Lord and an adoptive son of Mary & Joseph. Despite usually praying the rosary by myself, there is great comfort in knowing that this prayer is being echoed in the hearts and on the lips of Catholics throughout the world – there’s probably not a single second of any given day where the rosary is not being offered somewhere. If you’d like to learn more about the rosary – and pray it with some guidance – check out Bishop Barron on the rosary at Word on Fire.

Funeral Mass for Erik Sorenson (Thursday, September 28, 2023)

Funeral Mass for Erik Sorenson
Thursday, September 28, 2023
11:00 am (Mass)

Good morning,

The family of Erik Sorenson would like to invite Saint Mark parish to join them at the funeral Mass offered for him – to be celebrated later today, September 28, 2023. The Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am – all are welcome.

Let us pray together for Erik, his family, and all who love them. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul rest in peace. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Peace,
Saint Mark parish