About St. Alphonsus · Seattle, Washington
St. Alphonsus Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, founded in 1891 when Redemptorist Fathers from Sacred Heart Parish began celebrating Mass for the area's working-class immigrant community. The parish runs St. Alphonsus Parish School and is now part of Parish Family 14 in the Archdiocese of Seattle, sharing one pastor (Fr. Colin Parrish) with neighboring parishes St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist under the 2024 Partners in the Gospel reorganization. Today it offers daily and Sunday Mass, a weekly confession schedule, perpetual-style Adoration, faith formation for all ages, a wide range of ministries (Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society, St. Vincent de Paul, Sancta Vita, music ministry and more), and an outreach to the homebound through Eucharistic Ministers of Care.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. Alphonsus Liguori
- Rector
- Rev. Colin S. Parrish
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle
Why belong here
St. Alphonsus is a parish with deep Ballard roots — more than a century of ministry to a once-Scandinavian, working-class neighborhood — and a parish school whose building has educated local Catholics since 1923. It offers the full rhythm of Catholic life: daily and Sunday Mass, a robust weekly confession schedule, and First Thursday Adoration with Reconciliation, alongside a parish school, faith formation for youth and adults (OCIA), and a constellation of lay-led ministries including Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society, St. Vincent de Paul, Sancta Vita, Music Ministry and Angels' Cafe. As part of the new Parish Family 14 with St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist, parishioners now share resources and clergy with two sister parishes while keeping their own historic Ballard identity.
Mass times at St. Alphonsus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 7:00-7:20am
- Tuesday 7:00-7:20am
- Wednesday 7:00-7:20am
- Thursday 7:00-7:20am
- Saturday 4:00-4:45pm
- Sunday 8:00-8:45am
- First Thursday 7:00-8:00pm (with Adoration)
Adoration times
- First Thursday of the month 7:00-8:00pm
- Perpetual Adoration in the chapel (instituted by Fr. James Gandrau)
Our Story: 130+ Years in Ballard
St. Alphonsus Parish has served Seattle's Ballard neighborhood since 1891, when Redemptorist Fathers from Sacred Heart Parish began celebrating Mass for a hard-working Scandinavian immigrant community. A resident priest — Fr. Gustave Achtergael — was assigned in 1901, the cornerstone for a Gothic Revival church on 15th Avenue NW was laid in 1902, and Holy Angels Academy opened in 1907 staffed by the Dominican Sisters. A century and a third later, the parish remains a parish school community with deep roots, now sharing its pastor with two sister parishes under the Archdiocese's Partners in the Gospel reorganization.
Pastor and Parish Staff
Rev. Colin S. Parrish, a Seattle native and Navy convert, was installed as pastor of St. Alphonsus on October 3, 2024. He also pastors St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist as part of Parish Family 14. The parish staff includes a Pastoral Assistant for Administration, an Evangelization Coordinator / Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation, a Director of Parish Operations, a Music Coordinator & Organist (Andrew Koch, DMA), a School Principal (Nick Padrnos) and a Facilities Supervisor. Father Parrish grew up in Ballard and attended St. Catherine's and O'Dea before military service and conversion through a Catholic Navy chaplain.
- Rev. Colin S. Parrish — Pastor
- Lori Corcoro — Executive Assistant for Faith Formation / PA for Administration (Parish Family 14)
- Claire Shea — Evangelization Coordinator / Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation
- Dani D'Amelio — Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation
- Erik Ronning — Director of Parish Operations
- Andrew Koch, BM, MSM, DMA — Music Coordinator & Organist
- Nick Padrnos — School Principal
- John Skaar — Facilities Supervisor
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all the usual sacraments. Infant Baptism is arranged through Claire Shea; OCIA (formerly RCIA) forms adults entering the Church; First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick are celebrated through the parish office. For sacramental emergencies, callers dial the main line and select option 2.
- Infant Baptism — contact Claire Shea ([email protected])
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Faith Formation
Faith Formation at St. Alphonsus is open to all ages and stages — youth catechesis grades 1 through 12, OCIA for adults, and ongoing formation opportunities. The Parish Family 14 Evangelization Coordinator, Claire Shea, and Pastoral Assistants Lori Corcoro and Dani D'Amelio coordinate programs across St. Alphonsus, St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist. Volunteers with a heart for teaching are invited to help.
- Youth Catechesis (grades 1–12)
- OCIA (adult initiation)
- Volunteer catechists (contact Samuel Obert)
- Parish Family 14 collaborative faith formation
Parish Ministries
St. Alphonsus has a long tradition of lay-led parish life. The Knights of Columbus Ballard Council, Holy Name Society, St. Vincent de Paul conference (assistance line 206-767-6449), Sancta Vita, Angels' Cafe, Liturgical Ministries, Music Ministry, Pro-Life Ministry, the Adoration Chapel and the School Parent's Club and School Commission all keep the parish running and outward-facing. Eucharistic Ministers of Care bring Communion to the homebound.
- St. Vincent de Paul — Doug Martin, [email protected]; Help line 206-767-6449
- Knights of Columbus — Chris Van Hollebeke (www.kofcballard.org)
- Holy Name Society — Karl Hoffmann, 206-784-7152
- Sancta Vita — Anne Rose, [email protected]
- Angels' Cafe — Shelle Bjolstad, 206-330-9988
- Liturgical Ministries — Lori Corcoro / Claire Shea
- Music Ministry — Andrew Koch
- Pro-Life Ministry
- Eucharistic Ministers of Care to the Homebound
- School Parent's Club
- School Commission
St. Alphonsus Parish School
The parish school is housed in the same 1923 brick building that Father Achtergael built and Bishop O'Dea dedicated. Originally Holy Angels Academy (1907), the school has served Ballard Catholic children continuously for over a century. Dominican Sisters administered it until 1975; today it is led by Principal Nick Padrnos, a Notre Dame ACE program alumnus. The school offers before- and after-school care and summer programs and shares the parish's pastoral leadership with Fr. Colin Parrish.
- St. Alphonsus Parish School
- Principal: Nick Padrnos (BBA Gonzaga, M.Ed. Notre Dame ACE)
- Admissions: [email protected]
- Administrative Assistant: Charleen Sweet, [email protected]
- Before- and after-school care and Summer Care programs
Parish Family 14 & Partners in the Gospel
In 2024 the Archdiocese of Seattle's Partners in the Gospel strategic pastoral planning initiative grouped parishes into families under one pastor. St. Alphonsus now belongs to Parish Family 14 with St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist, sharing Fr. Colin Parrish as pastor and several parish staff including the Pastoral Assistant for Administration (Lori Corcoro) and the Evangelization Coordinator (Claire Shea).
- Parish Family 14: St. Alphonsus, St. Benedict, St. John the Evangelist
- One pastor (Fr. Colin Parrish) for the family
- Shared Evangelization and Faith Formation staff
Contact & Visit
The parish office is just north of the church on the corner of 15th Ave. NW and 59th, in the heart of Ballard next door to Ballard Market and a few blocks up from NW Market Street. Office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00–11:00am and 12:00–2:00pm, or by appointment. Registration forms for new parishioners can be returned by email, mail, fax or placed in the Sunday collection.
- Address: 5816 15th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
- Phone: (206) 784-6464
- Fax: (206) 789-5709
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tue/Wed/Fri 9–11am & 12–2pm
- Sacramental emergency: dial main line, option 2
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Gustave Achtergael1901-1943
First resident pastor; chose the 15th Ave. NW site; Bishop O'Dea laid the cornerstone in 1902; invited the Dominican Sisters to open Holy Angels Academy in 1907; oversaw construction of the 1923 brick school.
- Rev. John D. McGrath1944-1955
Purchased adjacent property and drew up plans for a new church and rectory as the parish outgrew its facilities.
- Rev. A.J. Shaughnessy1955-1975
Coordinated the erection of three brick buildings to replace the old church, rectory and convent.
- Rev. Jeffrey Sarkies1975-1980
Installed the Fritts-Richards tracker organ still in use today.
- Rev. Joseph Doogan1980-1987
Moved the baptismal font into the main church and converted the baptistery into a chapel.
- Rev. Paul Byrne1987-1991
Completely refurbished the school building and brought it up to current code.
- Rev. James Gandrau1991-2002
After the Dominican Sisters left in 1993, renovated the convent into Fonzi's senior center; instituted Perpetual Adoration in the chapel; led the 1996 campaign that built the gymnasium and Family Center (completed 1998).
- Rev. Ramon Santa Cruz, SOLT2002-2009
First SOLT pastor after the parish was entrusted to the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity in 2007.
- Rev. Shane McKee, SOLT2012-2017
Led the 2014 RESTORING GLORY Capital Campaign: new boiler, new church doors, and other campus upgrades.
- Rev. Richard Klepac, SOLT2017-2022
Last SOLT pastor; oversaw security, safety and technology upgrades, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Rev. Colin S. Parrish2024-present
First diocesan pastor after SOLT's departure; pastor of Parish Family 14 (St. Alphonsus, St. Benedict, St. John the Evangelist); installed October 3, 2024 by Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo.