About St. John of the Woods · Tacoma, Washington
St. John of the Woods is a Catholic mission church located at 9903 24th Avenue East in the Midland/Summit area of Tacoma, Washington. Originally founded in 1924 by the pioneering priest Fr. Hubert T. J. Mertens, it is one of the oldest Catholic communities in the South Tacoma/Pierce County region. Since July 1, 2024, St. John of the Woods has been a mission church of Parish Family #38 — Pope St. John XXIII Parish — under the Archdiocese of Seattle's Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning initiative, with Fr. Tuan V. Nguyen serving as pastor for the unified family and Fr. Hendry Arokiasamy as parochial vicar. Today the church offers Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses, weekday Masses, Saturday confessions, Eucharistic Adoration, and a full religious education program, all celebrated in the Ordinary use of the Roman Rite in English.
- Established
- 1924
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist (parish name traditionally understood as 'St. John of the Woods,' referring to the wooded Midland/Summit area)
- Rector
- Rev. Tuan V. Nguyen (Pastor of Parish Family #38, Pope St. John XXIII)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (Parish Family #38 — Pope St. John XXIII, formed July 1, 2024 under Partners in the Gospel)
Why belong here
St. John of the Woods offers a close-knit, Eucharist-centered Catholic community that has served the Midland/Summit area for a century. Weekend Masses (Saturday Vigil 6:00 pm; Sunday 8:00 am and 11:30 am), weekday Masses on Wednesday and Friday, Saturday confessions, and Eucharistic Adoration (Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings) make daily sacramental life readily available. As a mission of Pope St. John XXIII Parish Family, the community shares faith formation (CCD/Religious Education on Sunday mornings), OCIA, baptism preparation, and outreach ministries with a wider multicultural Catholic family, while retaining its own identity and historic church.
Mass times at St. John of the Woods
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Wednesday 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education is offered as part of the wider Pope St. John XXIII Parish Family. The St. John of the Woods campus hosts CCD/Religious Education classes for children from Pre-K (age 4) through 8th grade, including preparation for First Communion and Confirmation. The parish also runs an OCIA program for adults and older teens, an Adult Catechism Class, baptism preparation, and a Eucharistic Youth (TNTT) group.
- Religious Education (Pre-K–8th) at St. John of the Woods: Sundays 9:45 am – 11:10 am
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults): Mondays 6:30–8:30 pm at the PSJXXIII Religious Center
- Adult Catechism Class: Wednesdays 6:30–7:30 pm (contact Monty, 253-304-4473, [email protected])
- Baptism Preparation Classes: second Saturday each month, English and Vietnamese, taught by Deacon Theman Pham
- Eucharistic Youth Movement (TNTT)
Sacraments
St. John of the Woods shares sacramental preparation and record-keeping with the Pope St. John XXIII Parish Family. Sacramental records, Mass intentions, funerals, and scheduling are coordinated centrally by parish staff.
- Baptism — preparation for parents and godparents; contact Deacon Theman Pham or Sr. Theresa Nguyen (253-592-2541, [email protected])
- First Communion and Confirmation — through the Religious Education program
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 5:00–6:00 pm
- Anointing of the Sick — coordinated through the Homebound & Outreach Ministry (Sister Anna Nguyen, 253-592-2455, [email protected])
- Matrimony and Funerals — coordinated through the parish office (Carmen Lozano, 253-472-1360)
Parish History
The parish's roots reach back to 1924, when Fr. Hubert T. J. Mertens gathered the Catholics of Midland and Summit in the home of Frank Dillion for the first Mass. The original church was built in 1929–30, destroyed by fire in 1940, and replaced by the present church in 1947. A parish hall was added in 1958, CCD classrooms in 1965, and the parish grew through a long line of pastors. In 1996 it joined the South East Tacoma cluster, and in 2024 became a mission of Parish Family #38 (Pope St. John XXIII) under Partners in the Gospel.
- 1924 — Fr. Mertens founds the parish, celebrating Mass in private homes
- 1929–30 — First church built, seating 175, at a cost of about $3,000
- 1932 — Rectory built for $2,000
- 1938 — Fr. Mertens killed in a bicycle accident
- 1940 — Original church destroyed by fire (December 20)
- 1947 — Present church completed (December 14)
- 1958 — Parish hall dedicated
- 1965 — CCD classrooms built under Fr. Brendan Gallagher
- 1996 — Joins cluster with St. Ann and Sacred Heart, Fr. Vince Pastro as pastor
- 2006 — Fr. Tuan Nguyen becomes Regional Pastor
- 2024 — Placed in Parish Family #38 (Pope St. John XXIII) under Partners in the Gospel
Our Pastor and Clergy
St. John of the Woods is shepherded as part of Parish Family #38 (Pope St. John XXIII). Fr. Tuan V. Nguyen has served as pastor of the family since 2006 and was formally named Pastor under the 2024 Partners in the Gospel restructuring. Fr. Hendry Jesu Rajan Arokiasamy, H.G.N., serves as Parochial Vicar. Two deacons — Deacon Mike Teskey and Deacon Theman Pham — assist with liturgy, baptism classes, and pastoral care.
- Rev. Tuan V. Nguyen — Pastor ([email protected], 253-472-1360)
- Rev. Hendry Jesu Rajan Arokiasamy, H.G.N. — Parochial Vicar ([email protected], 253-472-1360)
- Deacon Mike Teskey — [email protected], 253-473-4960
- Deacon Theman Pham — Baptism Classes & Liturgy Support ([email protected])
Parish Staff
The PSJ23 Parish Family staff coordinate ministries, sacraments, communications, operations, and facilities across the four campuses (Pope St. John XXIII main, St. John of the Woods, Visitation, and St. Rita). Religious sisters play a major role in pastoral ministry and outreach.
- Sister Theresa Nguyen — Director of Pastoral Ministry and Liturgy ([email protected], 253-592-2541)
- Sister Anna Nguyen (Sr. Hang) — Homebound & Outreach Ministry ([email protected], 253-592-2455)
- Sister Linh Nguyen — Pastoral Associate for Operations ([email protected], 253-905-7269)
- Thien Dinh — Director of Operations ([email protected], 253-279-3361)
- Jeannine Wargo — Pastoral Assistant for Administration ([email protected], 253-473-4960)
- Lisa Smith — Administrative Assistant ([email protected], 253-592-3429)
- Carmen Lozano — Administrative Assistant ([email protected], 253-472-1360)
- Michael Truong Do — Facilities Operator ([email protected], 253-590-6824)
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve in a wide range of liturgical roles across the parish family. As PSJ23 works toward becoming one canonical parish under Partners in the Gospel, leaders are asked to serve in one primary ministry while still being able to participate in many.
- Altar Server — Rosalie Raffaell (253-691-1758)
- Lector — Pele Faleono (253-533-5705)
- Greeter Minister — Senia Papaia (253-886-9140)
- Sacristan — Anna Belle (360-731-3454)
- Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion — Louis Matej (253-921-5612)
- St. Ann Choir — Lina Tausinga (425-394-2701)
- Ushers — L.B. Gilmer (928-446-9045)
- Slideshow / Livestream — Janet Gummersall (253-312-0389)
Outreach & Community Life
The Homebound and Outreach Ministry, coordinated by Sister Anna Nguyen, brings the Eucharist and pastoral care to parishioners who cannot attend Mass, arranges anointing of the sick, runs the parish food bank, and organizes senior events. The Lazarus & Samoan Ministries (Theresa Naufahu, 253-290-6249) support the Samoan Catholic community within the parish family.
- Homebound visits and Communion calls
- Anointing of the Sick
- Food Bank
- Senior Events
- Lazarus Ministry
- Samoan Ministries
St. John of the Woods and Pope St. John XXIII Parish Family
On July 1, 2024, the Archdiocese of Seattle consolidated 136 parishes into 60 parish families under its Partners in the Gospel pastoral planning initiative. St. John of the Woods was placed into Parish Family #38 alongside Pope St. John XXIII (main campus, 7025 South Park Ave., Tacoma), Visitation (3314 So 58th St.), St. Rita (1403 S Ainsworth Ave.), and the Pope St. John XXIII STEM Academy. The family shares clergy, staff, a bulletin, website, and social media, and is moving toward becoming one canonical parish over the next several years under the guidance of the Parish Family Advisory Council (PFAC).
- Parish Family #38 — Pope St. John XXIII
- Main campus: Pope St. John XXIII, 7025 South Park Ave., Tacoma, WA 98408 — 253-472-1360
- St. John of the Woods Mission, 9903 24th Ave. East, Tacoma, WA 98445 — 253-537-8551
- Visitation Church, 3314 So 58th St., Tacoma, WA 98409
- St. Rita Station, 1403 S Ainsworth Ave., Tacoma, WA 98405
- Pope St. John XXIII STEM Academy (school)
Getting Involved & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are warmly invited to attend Mass, sign up for Religious Education or OCIA, and serve in one of the many liturgical or outreach ministries. The parish office can be reached by phone or email; the shared PSJ23 website and weekly newsletter keep the family informed.
- Parish phone: 253-537-8551 (St. John of the Woods mission office)
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Main parish office: 253-472-1360, [email protected]
- Faith Formation: Sr. Theresa Nguyen, 253-592-2541, [email protected]
- Outreach: Sr. Anna Nguyen, 253-592-2455, [email protected]
- Website: https://www.psj23.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Hubert T. J. Mertens1924–1938
Founding pastor; built the original 1929 church and the 1932 rectory; killed in a bicycle accident at Polk and 99th on October 26, 1938.
- Fr. Edmund (Edward) Barry1939–1944
Succeeded Mertens July 14, 1939; also chaplain of Marymount Military Academy and pastor of St. Benedict's, Spanaway.
- Fr. Robert E. Logan1944–1954
Built the present church, completed December 14, 1947, after the 1940 fire.
- Fr. Andrew M. Prouty1954–1965
Built and dedicated the parish hall in 1958; remodeled the rectory; purchased 10 additional acres in 1960.
- Fr. Brendan Gallagher1965–
Built the CCD classrooms shortly after arriving in fall 1965.
- Fr. Michael J. Schmitt1971–
- Fr. Patrick McDermott1975–
- Fr. Gordon Douglas1977–1978
- Fr. Carl Hageman1978–
- Fr. William Slate1987–1994
- Fr. P. G. O'Neill1994
Parochial Vicar who took charge of the parish in 1994.
- Fr. Vince Pastro1996–2006
First Cluster Pastor when St. John of the Woods, St. Ann, and Sacred Heart were united in July 1996.
- Fr. Tuan Nguyen2006–present
Regional Pastor from 2006; named Pastor of Parish Family #38 (Pope St. John XXIII) in 2024.