About Mary, Queen of Peace · Sammamish, Washington
Mary, Queen of Peace is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Seattle serving the Sammamish Plateau in King County, Washington. Founded on September 1, 1987, by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen to serve a growing Eastside population, it has grown into a community of roughly 1,884 households. The parish worships in a distinctive building sometimes affectionately called 'the holy spaceship' and runs a full slate of faith formation programs (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Family Faith Formation, Youth Ministry), a Hispanic ministry, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, the Knights of Columbus, and the Joyful Discovery Preschool. In 2024 it joined Parish Family 28 of the Archdiocese's Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning initiative, paired with Our Lady of Sorrows (Snoqualmie) and St. Joseph (Issaquah) under one pastor.
- Established
- 1987
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title Queen of Peace
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew T. Oakland
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (Eastside Deanery; Parish Family 28 under Partners in the Gospel)
Why belong here
Mary, Queen of Peace is a thriving Eastside Catholic community of nearly 1,900 households that worships together in a distinctive church on the Sammamish Plateau, offers daily and weekend Mass (livestreamed on YouTube), weekly Confession and Eucharistic Adoration, and a wide array of parish ministries — from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Family Faith Formation to the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Hispanic Ministry, and Small Church Communities. A bilingual culture (English and Spanish), a robust pastoral-care network for the homebound and grieving, the Joyful Discovery Preschool, and fellowship groups like the Coffee Hour and Social Life Committee make MQP a place where families of every stage can find prayer, service, and belonging.
Mass times at Mary, Queen of Peace
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
- Friday 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
- Saturday 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Adoration times
- Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Thursday 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
About Mary, Queen of Peace
Mary, Queen of Peace is a Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Seattle serving about 1,884 households on the Sammamish Plateau in King County, Washington. Founded in 1987 from portions of St. Joseph (Issaquah), St. Jude (Redmond) and St. Anthony (Carnation), it is one of the Eastside Deanery's largest parishes. Since 2024 it has served as part of Parish Family 28 alongside Our Lady of Sorrows in Snoqualmie and St. Joseph in Issaquah under the Archdiocese's Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning initiative.
History of the Parish
Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen founded Mary, Queen of Peace on September 1, 1987, and Father Stephen Szeman celebrated the first Masses that October in the chapel of the Lutheran Bible Institute. After groundbreaking in 1989, the parish moved into its permanent church in August 1990 and Archbishop Thomas Murphy dedicated the building on September 23, 1990 — its striking design earning the nicknames 'the holy spaceship' and 'the launching pad to heaven.' Successive pastors Father J. Paul Dalton (1991–2005), Father Kevin Duggan (2005–) and Father Mark Raschko (through July 2008) shepherded major capital campaigns that built out the parish center. Today the community continues that legacy under Fr. Matthew T. Oakland.
- Founded September 1, 1987 by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen
- First Masses: October 3–4, 1987 at the Lutheran Bible Institute chapel
- First baptism: November 21, 1987
- Groundbreaking for permanent church: May 28, 1989
- Church dedicated September 23, 1990 by Archbishop Thomas Murphy
- 1991 capital campaign: 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Let Us Build the City of God'
- 2001 capital campaign: 'Celebrating Our Faith, Completing Our Vision' ($1.7M+, 600+ families)
- 2024: Joined Parish Family 28 under Partners in the Gospel
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at MQP is described by the parish as 'a continuous and life-long process of growth,' with programs for children, youth and adults. Children in grades 1–5 are served through Family Faith Formation and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS); sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is a two-year journey typically completed in 2nd grade. High-school and young-adult ministry is led by Anne Sweeney, and adult formation is coordinated through Zoltan Abraham, including Small Church Communities that meet in parishioners' homes.
- Family Faith Formation (Grades 1–5) — Adriana Alvarez
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — [email protected]
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist Sacramental Preparation
- Youth Ministry (Grades 6–12) — [email protected]
- Young Adults Ministry — Anne Sweeney
- Adult Faith Formation — [email protected]
- Small Church Communities (homes, trained facilitators)
- Racial Justice, Centering Prayer, MQP Book Club
Joyful Discovery Preschool
Joyful Discovery Preschool operates on the Mary, Queen of Peace campus under director Aimee Cermak, providing early-childhood education in a parish-based setting (contact: [email protected]).
- Director: Aimee Cermak (ext. 122)
- Email: [email protected]
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor, parochial vicars, deacons, and a full lay-staff team handling operations, communications, music, formation and facilities. Fr. Matthew T. Oakland is pastor; Fr. Kyle Poje serves as parochial vicar; Deacon Marco Antonio Albán Galeas and Deacon Felix Maguire assist. The Archdiocese of Seattle's directory also lists Rev. Randy Guarino as parochial vicar. Office staff includes Beth Kim (Director of Parish Operations), Jeehae Lee (Bookkeeper), Sonja Rodriguez (Office Manager), Adriana Alvarez (Children, Families & Sacramental Preparation), David Yackley (Liturgical Music), Ana Maria Niño (Communications), Ann Shikany (Assistant to the Pastor), and Jake Rossi (Facility Maintenance).
- Pastor: Fr. Matthew T. Oakland
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Kyle Poje
- Parochial Vicar (per Archdiocese): Fr. Randy Guarino
- Deacon Marco Antonio Albán Galeas
- Deacon Felix Maguire
- Assistant to the Pastor: Ann Shikany
- Director of Parish Operations: Beth Kim
- Bookkeeper: Jeehae Lee
- Office Manager: Sonja Rodriguez
- Children, Families & Sacramental Preparation: Adriana Alvarez
- Liturgical Music: David Yackley
- Communications: Ana Maria Niño
- Facility Maintenance: Jake Rossi
- Joyful Discovery Preschool Director: Aimee Cermak
- High-School Youth Minister / Young Adults: Anne Sweeney
- Special Projects: Shelley Johnson
Parish Ministry Directory
MQP publishes a full Parish Ministry Directory connecting parishioners with more than thirty active ministries and service groups, from liturgical roles (Altar Servers, Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitation) to prayer and fellowship (Centering Prayer, Healing Ministry, First Friday Rosary, Rosary on the 13th, Coffee Hour, MQP Book Club, Social Life Committee).
- Liturgical: Altar Servers, Art & Environment, Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Sound/AV, Usher Coordinator, Liturgy Commission
- Prayer & Devotion: Centering Prayer, Healing Ministry, First Friday Rosary, Rosary on the 13th, Eucharistic Adoration, Santa Teresa Prayer Group, Men's Prayer Groups (English & Spanish)
- Fellowship & Service: Coffee Hour, Funeral Receptions, MQP Book Club, Social Life Committee, Boy Scout Troop 571, Girl Scout Troop 5749
- Pastoral Care: Eucharistic Visitation, Pastoral Care (rides to Mass, home Communion), Women's Grief Ministry, Prayer Chain
- Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul, Food Bank Collections, Human Concerns Committee, Care for Creation, Racial Justice, Sister Parish, Marriage Preparation
Outreach & Social Concerns
Mary, Queen of Peace carries out the corporal works of mercy through a Human Concerns Committee (school backpacks, Christmas presents, Easter baskets, community grants), a St. Vincent de Paul conference that assists with rent, gas and electric bills, the Parish Food Bank Collections, and a Racial Justice ministry. The parish also hosts Tent City IV, a sanctioned homeless encampment on its grounds, and supports a Sister Parish relationship overseas.
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference — [email protected] / 425-391-1178 x194
- Human Concerns Committee — backpacks, Christmas presents, Easter baskets, community grants
- Food Bank Collections
- Tent City IV (sanctioned homeless encampment hosted at MQP)
- Sister Parish partnership
- Care for Creation
- Racial Justice ministry
Help & Pastoral Care Resources
A dedicated 'Help' page on the parish website connects parishioners and neighbors in need with parish and community resources, including domestic-violence referrals, food and housing assistance, safe parking, and grief support. Parish pastoral care arranges rides to Mass and brings Communion to the homebound.
- Pastoral Care: rides to Mass and home Communion — Karen Hauser, [email protected] / 425-391-1178 x113
- Women's Grief Ministry — Pat, 509-531-1039
- St. Vincent de Paul assistance — 425-391-1178 x194
- Project Rachel (post-abortion healing)
- GriefShare at Pine Lake Covenant Church
- Lifewire domestic violence / Eastside Domestic Violence Program
- Hopelink, Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank, Prepares, Kids Without Borders
- King County 2-1-1 referrals
Parish Family 28 & Partners in the Gospel
In 2024 the Archdiocese of Seattle placed Mary, Queen of Peace into Parish Family 28 as part of Partners in the Gospel, a strategic pastoral-planning initiative in which one pastor leads multiple parishes. Fr. Matthew Oakland serves as pastor of all three parishes, assisted by Fr. Kyle Poje (a canon-law student taking a year of pastoral service) and Fr. Jaya Embeti (summer help from the Diocese of Nellore, India). Mass and Confession schedules have been unified across the family as of July 1, 2024.
- Parish Family 28: Mary, Queen of Peace (Sammamish), Our Lady of Sorrows (Snoqualmie), St. Joseph (Issaquah)
- Pastor: Fr. Matthew Oakland
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Kyle Poje
- Summer help 2024: Fr. Jaya Embeti (Diocese of Nellore, India)
- New unified Mass & Confession schedule effective July 1, 2024
Communications & News
The parish communicates through a printed weekly bulletin, the MQP Messenger email newsletter (delivered via Flocknote), the parish website, narthex screens and YouTube slides, and pulpit announcements. Submissions are coordinated by the Communications & Events Manager and follow MQP branding guidelines.
- Weekly Bulletin
- MQP Messenger (weekly email newsletter via Flocknote)
- Narthex screens / YouTube slides
- Parish website and social boards
- Communications & Events Manager: Ana Maria Niño
- Communications email: [email protected]
Visiting Mary, Queen of Peace
The parish office is open Monday 12:00–4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and Friday 8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., and is closed Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. The church is located at 1121 228th Ave SE, Sammamish, WA 98075, and the main switchboard is (425) 391-1178 (fax 425-391-3797). Travelers can use the parish website to find Mass times when away.
- Address: 1121 228th Ave SE, Sammamish, WA 98075-9509
- Phone: 425-391-1178; Fax: 425-391-3797
- Office email: [email protected]
- Office hours posted on the Staff Directory page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Stephen Szeman1987–1991
Founding pastor; first Masses Oct 3–4, 1987 at Lutheran Bible Institute chapel; resigned for health reasons June 1991.
- Rev. Anthony Bawyn1991 (interim)
Pastoral caretaker during transition after Fr. Szeman's resignation.
- Rev. J. Paul Dalton1991–2005
14-year pastorate; oversaw completion of parish center; died February 29, 2008, funeral held at MQP.
- Rev. Kevin Duggan2005–
Arrived July 2005; officially installed October 2005 by Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo.
- Rev. Mark Raschkothrough July 2008
Twenty years with MQP before transferring to Holy Rosary Parish, West Seattle.
- Rev. Paul Pluth2008–
Weekend assistant, arriving from St. Anne Parish, Seattle.
- Rev. Matthew T. Oakland2024–present
Current pastor under Partners in the Gospel; leads Parish Family 28 (MQP, Our Lady of Sorrows Snoqualmie, St. Joseph Issaquah).