Our Lady Star of the Sea

About Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish

Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish has a history that stretches back to the earliest settlement of the Kitsap region. Early Catholic settlers celebrated Mass in their homes with missionary priests from Immaculate Conception Church in Seattle. With the development of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in the 1890s, Bremerton's population exploded, and in 1901 Bishop Edward J. O'Dea blessed the parish's first church at Fifth and Washington. The parish has outgrown two earlier church buildings and now worships in the current Romanesque church on Fifth and Veneta, finished in 1953 and restored in 2008. Today it is a stable community of about 1,500 families — largely 'blue-collar' people employed at the Naval Shipyard — with a significant Pacific Islander (Filipino and Chamorro) population, a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Mother of God, and a deep commitment to Catholic education and faith formation.

A Brief Parish History

1901: First church blessed by Bishop O'Dea at Fifth and Washington. 1921: Combined church and school built at Sixth and Veneta; church on upper level. 1926: Three sisters from St. Dominic's Convent arrive and a convent is built for them. 1953: Current Romanesque church completed after WWII growth swells the parish to 1,500 families. 1997: A new $2.8 million, 24,000-square-foot school is dedicated by Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy — the first new Catholic school in the Archdiocese in 32 years. 2004: Camerman Hall fully remodeled. 2007: Stained glass windows cleaned and repaired. 2008: Major interior restoration returns the church to its original Romanesque design, with an expanded sanctuary and vestibule. 2024: The parish is placed into Parish Family 51 with Holy Trinity, Bremerton under Partners in the Gospel.

Parish Staff & Clergy

Our Lady Star of the Sea is led by Father Derek Lappe, who has been pastor since July 1, 2008. The parish is currently served by a parochial vicar and a senior priest/parish priest, and by a team of lay staff overseeing business, evangelization, music, discipleship, social outreach, and facilities.

• Very Rev. Derek J. Lappe — Pastor (ordained 2000 in Rome; previously served Grays Harbor, Tacoma, and Camas)
• Rev. Joshua T. Nehnevaj — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Dennis C. Sevilla — Senior Priest / Parish Priest
• Deacon Bill Hamlin
• Joe Keller — Pastoral Asst. for Business Admin. / Stewardship and Development
• Paul Eckert — Facilities Supervisor
• Mary Castenada — Pastoral Assistant for Music
• Jenny Hill — Director of Discipleship
• Simon Falk — Director of Evangelization
• Juan Pablo Garcia — Director of Evangelization for Latino Ministry
• Roseanne Murphy — Pastoral Assistant for Social Outreach
• Genie Dolan — Bookkeeper
• Valerie Pollakova — Parish Secretary
• Christine Cooney — Marketing Specialist

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Our Lady Star of the Sea offers formation for every age. Children in PreK-5 can join Faith Works, a Lectionary-based Religious Education program that meets Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM (mid-September through May), or the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based program for ages 3-9 offered in partnership with Holy Trinity. Youth in middle and high school have their own dedicated programs including Youth Confirmation, Fraternus (young men) and Fidelis (young women). Adults can join OCIA (Discovering Catholicism), Adult Confirmation, Tuesday Morning Bible Study, Wednesday Adult Faith Formation with Fr. Lappe, or one of several Discipleship Groups.

• Faith Works — PreK-5, Wednesdays 6:00-7:30 PM
• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — Levels I & II, ages 3-9, hosted at Holy Trinity Church
• Youth Confirmation — for middle and high school students
• Fraternus — young men's group
• Fidelis — young women's group (with a missionary intern)
• OCIA / Discovering Catholicism — for adults seeking full initiation
• Adult Confirmation
• Tuesday Morning Bible Study
• Wednesday Adult Faith Formation with Fr. Lappe
• Discipleship Groups
• Homeschooler's Group

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic School

The parish school, opened in 1926 with the arrival of three Dominican sisters, has been a cornerstone of parish life for nearly a century. The current building was completed in 1996-97 and dedicated by Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy — the first new Catholic school built in the Archdiocese of Seattle in 32 years. Today the school serves children in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade with a classical liberal arts curriculum rooted in salvation history. Under the patronage of the Blessed Mother, the school's mission is to support parents as the primary educators of their children and to form missionary disciples fully alive in Jesus Christ.

• Address: 1516 5th St., Bremerton, WA 98377
• Phone: (360) 373-5162
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: school.starofthesea.net
• Grades: PreK-8
• Curriculum: Catholic classical liberal arts
• Core Purpose: 'OLSOS school cultivates missionary disciples who are fully alive in Jesus Christ.'

Parish Ministries & Outreach

The parish runs an extensive social outreach network in addition to its liturgical and formation ministries. Mary's Place serves meals to the homeless every Monday in Camerman Hall. Benedict House helps homeless men (and homeless men with children) rebuild their lives. St. Vincent de Paul offers person-to-person assistance to those in need. Mary's Little Tots Shop — operating under the PREPARES umbrella — provides gently used and new items for babies and children, open the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. PREPARES itself is a pro-life ministry supporting pregnant moms and families with children 0-5 years through mentorship and basic needs. There is also a dedicated Latino Ministry and a Street Outreach effort.

• Mary's Place — Monday meals in Camerman Hall
• Benedict House — housing/life-rebuild ministry for homeless men and men with children
• St. Vincent de Paul Society
• Mary's Little Tots Shop — 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 AM
• PREPARES — pro-life mentorship and basic-needs support for families with children 0-5
• Street Outreach
• Latino Ministry (Juan Pablo Garcia, Director)
• Sacristans ministry (under Deacon Bill Hamlin)
• Knights of Columbus

Devotions, Holy Hours & Special Events

Devotional life is central to the parish's identity, with a particular emphasis on the Blessed Sacrament. A weekly Parish Holy Hour is held Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM with music and reflection, and a monthly themed Holy Hour is hosted by the youth and young adults. Each year on the Feast of Corpus Christi the parish processes with the Blessed Sacrament through the surrounding neighborhood to altars set up in parishioners' front yards for Benediction, followed by a Knights of Columbus BBQ in Camerman Hall. Other recurring events include the annual Bremerton Catholic Women's Retreat, the Lumen Veritatis Prayer Guild, and Days of Recollection.

• Weekly Parish Holy Hour — Thursdays 7:00 PM
• Monthly Parish Holy Hour — hosted by youth/young adults with a special intention each month
• Corpus Christi Procession — through neighborhood with altars and Benediction, BBQ to follow
• Youth & Young Adult Holy Hour — with guided meditations and Eucharistic Adoration
• Bremerton Catholic Women's Retreat (annual)
• Lumen Veritatis Prayer Guild
• Days of Recollection (e.g. with Dr. Tom Curran)

Sacraments & Sacramental Preparation

The parish prepares parishioners for all the sacraments of initiation and continues to walk with them through marriage, anointing, and vocations. Children's sacramental preparation (First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation) is requested through the parish where the family is registered, and the parish website includes dedicated pages for each program. Adults seeking to become Catholic journey through OCIA (Discovering Catholicism), and separate tracks exist for Youth Confirmation and Adult Confirmation.

• Baptism — contact the parish office
• First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — children's sacramental preparation
• Confirmation — Youth Confirmation and Adult Confirmation tracks
• OCIA / Discovering Catholicism — adults becoming Catholic
• Marriage / Anointing of the Sick — contact the Parish Office
• All sacramental requests handled through [email protected] or (360) 479-3777

Parish Family 51 & Partners in the Gospel

In 2024 the Archdiocese of Seattle placed Our Lady Star of the Sea into Parish Family 51 alongside Holy Trinity, Bremerton, under Partners in the Gospel — a strategic pastoral planning process that groups parishes under shared pastoral leadership. Father Derek Lappe serves as pastor of the family, with Father Joshua Nehnevaj and Father Dennis Sevilla supporting the two parishes as parochial vicar and senior/parish priest respectively.

• Parish Family 51: Our Lady Star of the Sea + Holy Trinity, Bremerton
• Leadership: Very Rev. Derek J. Lappe (Pastor)
• Rev. Joshua T. Nehnevaj (Parochial Vicar)
• Rev. Dennis C. Sevilla (Senior Priest / Parish Priest)
• Initiative: Partners in the Gospel (Archdiocese of Seattle)

Visiting & Getting Involved

Newcomers are warmly welcomed. The parish website hosts an 'I'm New' page with online registration forms for adults and for children, plus information for those returning to the faith or curious about Catholicism. Those wishing to speak with a priest can reach Fr. Lappe or Fr. Nehnevaj through the parish office at [email protected]. Each ministry on the website lists a contact person and email so newcomers can plug in directly. Camerman Hall, beneath the church, is the parish's hospitality hub — hosting Mary's Place on Mondays, the Corpus Christi BBQ, and other community events.

• Register Online with OLSOS Parish (Adults)
• Children's New Parishioner Form
• Discovering Catholicism (OCIA) page
• Contact Parish Office: [email protected] or (360) 479-3777
• Fax: (360) 479-1468
• Camerman Hall — parish hospitality and outreach hub