About Blessed Sacrament · Seattle, Washington
Blessed Sacrament Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Seattle's University District, founded on December 6, 1908 by Dominican friars at the invitation of Bishop Edward J. O'Dea to serve both the surrounding community and the students of the University of Washington. The parish, which today serves over 1,100 families alongside the Prince of Peace Catholic Newman Center (the fifth-oldest Newman Center in the U.S. and the first Dominican-run), is recognized as both a Seattle Landmark (1981) and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1984). Its iconic green copper spire is a familiar sight to drivers on I-5 and even serves as a landmark for pilots approaching Sea-Tac Airport.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Blessed Sacrament)
- Rector
- Fr. Dominic David Maichrowicz, O.P.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (North Seattle Deanery)
Why belong here
Blessed Sacrament offers a rare combination: a Dominican-rooted parish with daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration every weekday morning and Friday nights, a full sacramental life including OCIA and Religious Education, and one of the country's oldest Catholic Newman Centers serving University of Washington students. Families, young adults (through the Frassati community), seniors, and the broader University District all share a single worship space and a parish mission to make Christ's love visible in Seattle.
Mass times at Blessed Sacrament
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Or by appointment (contact the parish office at 206-547-3020)
Adoration times
- Monday–Friday 6:30 AM – 7:30 AM
- Friday 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM (live-streamed and in-person)
Parish History
Blessed Sacrament traces its origin to October 1898, when eleven Catholic families in the then-wilderness University District petitioned Bishop Edward J. O'Dea for priests. After the Benedictines began a nearby parish in 1906, O'Dea turned to the Dominican Friars of the Western Province in 1908. The first Dominican, Fr. Francis Driscoll, O.P., met UW students on October 9 — the anniversary of Cardinal Newman's reception into the Church — to found a Catholic club. The first parish Mass was celebrated on December 6, 1908 (the Second Sunday of Advent) in the Masonic Hall at University Way and 42nd Street. The current Neo-Gothic church was dedicated on October 4, 1925. The complex became a Seattle Landmark in 1981 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. A deeper account is published in 'To Praise, To Bless, To Preach,' the centennial history of the Dominican Order in Seattle.
- Founded December 6, 1908 by Fr. Francis Driscoll, O.P.
- Church dedicated October 4, 1925
- Seattle Landmark since 1981; National Register of Historic Places since 1984
- Repaired after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake (completed 2010)
Architecture & Iconic Green Spire
Designed in the Neo-Gothic style, the church, priory and school together form a designated historic landmark in the heart of the University District. The building's most recognizable feature is its green copper-clad spire, which rises above the I-5 corridor and has become a defining feature of the northern Seattle skyline. The parish notes that the spire is used as a visual landmark even by airline pilots on approach to Sea-Tac.
Dominican Identity & Priory
Since 1908 Blessed Sacrament has been entrusted to the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). A community of Dominican friars lives on-site at the parish priory, with the current Prior being Fr. Dominic Briese, O.P. The parish sponsors a Lay Dominican chapter — laity who commit to the four pillars of Dominican life: prayer, study, preaching, and community. The parish's preaching, teaching, and sacramental life flow from this Dominican charism.
- Fr. Dominic Briese, O.P. — Prior of the Dominican Community
- Lay Dominicans active at the parish
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Dominic David Maichrowicz, O.P., with Fr. John Peter Anderson, O.P. serving as Parochial Vicar. The Dominican community includes Fr. Dominic Briese, O.P. (Prior), Fr. Daniel Syverstad, O.P. and Fr. Vincent Benoit, O.P. (in residence). The Newman Center is staffed by Director Fr. Marcin Szymański, O.P. and Assistant Director Fr. Nathaniel Maria Mayne, O.P.
- Anne-Marie Droege — Assistant to the Pastor
- Debbie Gonzalez — Parish Administrator
- Lisa Brown — Office Assistant
- Moira Petris — Office Assistant
- Patrick Bucy — Director of Religious Education
- Gaylan Adair — Director of Faith Formation
- Aaron O'Bryan-Herriott — Facilities
- Kristor Cummings — Facilities Assistant
- Jeffrey Fetter — Grounds
- Dr. Michael Plagerman — Director of Sacred Music
- Caitlin Hennessy — Assistant Director of Sacred Music
- Kyle Canaday — Principal Organist
- Youngjin Joo — Assistant Organist
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish offers year-round OCIA for adults seeking baptism or full communion, a Religious Education program for children directed by Patrick Bucy, broader Faith Formation led by Gaylan Adair, and ongoing 'Catechesis with the Pastor' taught by Fr. Dominic David Maichrowicz, O.P.
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (year-round)
- Children's Religious Education — Patrick Bucy
- Faith Formation — Gaylan Adair
- Catechesis with the Pastor
- Formation with the Friars — Fr. Maichrowicz and Fr. Anderson
Music & Liturgy
The parish's music program is led by Director of Sacred Music Dr. Michael Plagerman, with Caitlin Hennessy as Assistant Director, Kyle Canaday as Principal Organist, and Youngjin Joo as Assistant Organist.
Prince of Peace Newman Center at UW
The Prince of Peace Catholic Newman Center serves Catholic undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Washington. Founded as a student club in 1908 — the same year as the parish — it is the fifth-oldest Newman Center in the U.S. and the first to be run by the Dominican Order. Its current building was dedicated in 2001, and in 2008 the Center celebrated 100 years of ministry. With about 800 students, staff, faculty and community Catholics connected to UW, it partners with FOCUS missionaries (since 2019) for its work.
- Director: Fr. Marcin Szymański, O.P.
- Assistant Director: Fr. Nathaniel Maria Mayne, O.P.
- FOCUS missionaries on staff since 2019
Frassati Young Adult Community
Frassati is a large young-adult community based at Blessed Sacrament Church and the UW Newman Center, with more than 15 small groups, weekly events, and young-adult leaders and volunteer teams. Activities include monthly Young Adult Adoration (second Saturday at UW Newman, with praise and worship, confessions and prayer teams), a Lumen speaker-and-pub series that closes with chanted Night Prayer (Compline) with the Dominican Friars, and monthly Hike & Mass outings.
Outreach & Service
Outreach at Blessed Sacrament is rooted in the Dominican tradition of preaching and mercy. The St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Blessed Sacrament Food Program serve neighbors in need across the University District, while a women's group offers annual retreats, quarterly Mornings of Reflection, study, fellowship and service.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Blessed Sacrament Food Program
- Women's Group — annual retreats, Mornings of Reflection
Community Life & Other Ministries
Beyond its core sacramental and outreach work, Blessed Sacrament nurtures a wide spectrum of parish life — a Senior Ministry, the Lay Dominicans, a Returning Catholics program, and ongoing teaching by the pastor and parochial vicar.
- Senior Ministry
- Lay Dominicans
- Returning Catholics program
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis Driscoll, O.P.1908–
First Dominican assigned by Bishop O'Dea; founded the parish on December 6, 1908 and formed the original Newman Catholic club at UW.