Lakewood Catholic Parish Family

Lakewood Catholic Parish Family
FoundedJuly 1, 2024 (2024-07-01)
TypeLatin Catholic Parish Family
Location
Region served
Lakewood and surrounding areas, Pierce County, Washington
Pastor
Rev. Louis R. Cunningham
Parent organization
Archdiocese of Seattle
Websitelakewoodcatholic.org

The Lakewood Catholic Parish Family is a Catholic parish family of the Archdiocese of Seattle in Lakewood, Washington, United States, comprising two parishes, St. Frances Cabrini and St. John Bosco, sharing a single pastor under the Archdiocese of Seattle's Partners in the Gospel restructuring initiative.[1] The parish family was established on July 1, 2024, when the archdiocese reorganized its 136 parishes into 60 parish families.[2]

The two parishes share staff and ministries while retaining separate worship sites. St. Frances Cabrini administers the affiliated St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School; St. John Bosco administers the Church of the Immaculate Conception mission in nearby Steilacoom.[3]

Background

Lakewood, Washington

Lakewood, Washington is a city in Pierce County, about 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown Tacoma. Long an unincorporated community, Lakewood was incorporated on February 28, 1996, becoming Pierce County's second-largest city. Its population grew rapidly between 1939 and 1949, from roughly 3,000 to 17,000, largely due to the expansion of nearby military installations.[4] The city now has nearly 64,000 residents and a substantial military population tied to adjacent Joint Base Lewis–McChord.[5]

Partners in the Gospel

Partners in the Gospel is a pastoral planning initiative the Archdiocese of Seattle announced in January 2023 in response to declining engagement and a shortage of priests.[2] The archdiocese announced final parish family assignments on February 3, 2024, and the restructuring took effect July 1, 2024, consolidating 136 parishes into 60 parish families, each led by one pastor.[2] Each family is expected to operate jointly for about three years before merging into a single canonical parish.[6]

St. Frances Cabrini and St. John Bosco were assigned together as Parish Family 37 in the Tacoma–Pierce County deanery.[3]

Parish leadership

Clergy and staff shared across both parishes, as of 2024:[1]

RoleName
PastorRev. Louis R. Cunningham
Parochial VicarRev. Dean Mbuzi
Senior Priest in residenceRev. Paul J. Brunet
DeaconGeorge Mounce
DeaconJeff Greer
DeaconMauricio Anaya
Pastoral Associate for Faith FormationGabriela Grossman
Director of Music, Liturgy & Parish LifeJoe Greey
Director of Communications, Small Groups, Charitable WorksFabiana Pacheco
Director of Sacraments and Youth CatechesisSusy Martinez

Member parishes

St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Parish

St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Parish
The nave, photographed in 2026
St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Parish
47°09′36″N 122°30′44″W / 47.1601°N 122.5122°W / 47.1601; -122.5122
Location5715 108th Street SW, Lakewood, Washington 98499
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris church
Latin Church
Websitecabrini.us
History
FoundedJanuary 18, 1952 (1952-01-18)
DedicationFrances Xavier Cabrini
Administration
ArchdioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
Clergy
VicarRev. Dean Mbuzi
PastorRev. Louis R. Cunningham

St. Frances Cabrini is the older of the two parishes, founded in 1952 and named for Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen canonized by the Catholic Church.[7] Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917) was an Italian-born nun who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1909.[8] She was canonized in 1946 and named patron saint of immigrants in 1950; her feast day is November 13.[8][9]

History

Archbishop Thomas A. Connolly established the parish on January 18, 1952; its first Mass was celebrated ten days later in the gymnasium of Visitation Villa, a Catholic girls' school on the site now occupied by Lakewood Towne Center.[10] St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School opened the following year, staffed by Holy Names Sisters living in the on-site Cabrini Convent, and the current church building was dedicated in 1964.[7][11]

School enrollment declined through the 1970s as fewer women religious were available to teach; the convent closed in 1986 and became parish offices.[7][10] The parish marked its 50th anniversary in 2003, and the school received its third consecutive accreditation from the Western Catholic Educational Association in 2017.[10][7]

Parish life

Mass is celebrated in the only in the Mass of Paul VI in both English and Spanish, with a Swahili Mass on the third Sunday of each month.[12] Ministries include catechetical formation, the OCIA program, and Eucharistic adoration.[13] St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School, at 5621 108th Street SW, offers pre-K through grade eight.[14]

Mass schedule (as of 2026)[a]:[12]

  • Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:30 PM (Spanish); Swahili Mass every third Sunday
  • Weekday: Mon–Thu 7:30 AM, Fri 8:30 AM
  • Vigil (Saturday): 5:00 PM
  • Reconciliation: Thursday 4:00–6:00 PM, Saturday 3:00–4:45 PM
  • Eucharistic adoration: First Fridays after 8:30 AM Mass; First Saturdays 6 PM–6 AM

2021 Mass disruption

On October 24, 2021, a man disrupted the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass at St. Frances Cabrini and was physically restrained by parishioners near the altar after approaching pastor Fr. Paul Brunet; the incident was captured on video that circulated widely online.[15] The man had been served a no-trespass order on October 11 following weeks of what the parish described as abusive and threatening conduct toward staff, and was arrested and booked for criminal trespass after returning to the church in violation of that order.[16] In a letter to parishioners, Brunet wrote that the parish and school had worked with local police and private security to increase safety measures following the incident.[16][15]

St. John Bosco Catholic Parish

St. John Bosco Catholic Parish
St. John Bosco Catholic Parish
47°09′19″N 122°34′39″W / 47.1554°N 122.5775°W / 47.1554; -122.5775
Location10508 112th Street SW, Lakewood, Washington 98498
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris church
Latin Church
Websitestjbosco.org
History
FoundedJune 1, 1968 (1968-06-01)
DedicationJohn Bosco
Administration
ArchdioceseArchdiocese of Seattle
Clergy
VicarRev. Dean Mbuzi
PastorRev. Louis R. Cunningham

St. John Bosco Parish, founded in 1968, is named for Saint John Bosco (1815–1888), the Italian priest who founded the Salesians of Don Bosco and is known for his work with disadvantaged youth. He was canonized in 1934; his feast day is January 31, and he is patron saint of youth, students, apprentices, and editors.[17] Although formally established in 1968, the parish traces its lineage to the first Catholic church built in Washington Territory.[3]

History

The parish traces its roots to the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Steilacoom, the oldest Catholic church in what is now the Archdiocese of Seattle, built by soldiers at Fort Steilacoom around 1857 and moved to its current downtown Steilacoom site in 1864.[18] It served as the region's mother church until 1880 and has since been a mission chapel, administered by St. John Bosco Parish today.[18][3]

Archbishop Connolly established St. John Bosco Parish itself in June 1968, drawing its territory from Visitation Parish and St. Frances Cabrini Parish; the current church was dedicated in November 1971.[3] A 1991 expansion added a parish hall and offices, and a Blessed Sacrament Chapel and prayer garden followed in 1998.[3]

Entrance to the prayer garden, 2025

Parish life

As part of the Lakewood Catholic Parish Family, St. John Bosco shares ministries with St. Frances Cabrini, including catechetical formation, Bible study, and Eucharistic ministries.[19]

Mass schedule[b] (as of 2024):[3]

  • Sunday: 10:00 AM
  • Vigil (Saturday): 5:00 PM
  • Reconciliation: Saturday after Vigil Mass; Thursday 5:00 PM (with Rosary)
  • Eucharistic adoration: First Friday after 8:30 AM Mass; First Saturday 8:00–9:00 AM

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ All Masses at St. Frances Cabrini are celebrated in the Novus Ordo
  2. ↑ All Masses at St. John Bosco are celebrated in the Novus Ordo

References

  1. 1 2 "About – Who We Are". Lakewood Catholic Parish Family. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  2. 1 2 3 "Partners in the Gospel". Archdiocese of Seattle. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Saint John Bosco". Catholic Tacoma. 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  4. ↑ "The History of Lakewood". Lakewood Chamber. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  5. ↑ "About Lakewood". City of Lakewood. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  6. ↑ "General Q&A: Partners in the Gospel" (PDF). Archdiocese of Seattle. January 2024. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "History of Saint Frances Cabrini School". St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  8. 1 2 "St. Frances Xavier Cabrini". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  9. ↑ "Frances Xavier Cabrini". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  10. 1 2 3 Dunkelberger, Steve (2011-06-03). "Cabrini Marks Another Milestone Saturday". Patch. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  11. ↑ "Saint Frances Cabrini". Catholic Tacoma. 2025-12-19. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  12. 1 2 "St. Frances Cabrini, Lakewood, 98499". Archdiocese of Seattle. 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  13. ↑ "St. Frances Cabrini – Join Our Faith Community". St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Parish. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  14. ↑ "St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School". St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  15. 1 2 "Viral video shows man disrupting mass, getting into physical confrontation at altar". KIRO 7 News. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
  16. 1 2 White, Christopher (2021-10-27). "Man seen confronting Catholic priest in viral video arrested for trespass". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
  17. ↑ "Saint John Bosco". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  18. 1 2 "Immaculate Conception – A Sacred Piece of Washington's Catholic Heritage". St. John Bosco Parish. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  19. ↑ "Lakewood Catholic Parish Family". Lakewood Catholic Parish Family. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.