St. Joseph

About St. Joseph Parish

St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic parish located at 121 E. Maple Street in Sequim, on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Seattle and is part of an Olympic Deanery parish family that includes Queen of Angels (Port Angeles), St. Anne (Forks), St. Thomas the Apostle (Clallam Bay), and St. Mary Star of the Sea (Port Townsend). The parish is served by a pastor and two parochial vicars, with support from three deacons and a regional administrative team.

Parish History

Catholic presence in the Sequim area predates St. Joseph itself. After Holy Angels Church in Port Angeles was established in 1881, the Sequim valley was considered part of that Port Angeles parish, and weekday Mass was occasionally offered in the home of Mr. F. Grennan. In 1916, with land donated by a non-Catholic named Mr. Keeler, St. Joseph Mission was established and its first church was blessed on January 9, 1916. The mission was served by Father Albert Erkins, OSB (also pastor of Queen of Angels), with Mass usually only once a month until 1940, when weekly Sunday Mass began. By 1964, with 81 families and the original chapel overflowing, the parish launched a building project. The new church — built next to the old one, which was then demolished — was dedicated on July 17, 1966, by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gill of Seattle, at a cost of $108,500 that the parish paid off by 1973. In 1976, after 60 years as a mission, St. Joseph was established as a full parish, with Father James Deady as its first resident pastor.

• 1881 — Holy Angels Church founded in Port Angeles (parent parish)
• 1916 (Jan. 9) — First St. Joseph Mission church blessed
• 1940 — Sunday Mass begins to be celebrated weekly in Sequim
• 1966 (July 17) — New church dedicated by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gill of Seattle
• 1973 — Building debt retired by parishioners
• 1976 — St. Joseph established as a full parish; Father James Deady named first pastor

Parish Staff & Clergy

St. Joseph is currently led by pastor Rev. Jacob M. Maurer and supported by two parochial vicars, Rev. Edward G. White and Rev. Naresh Gali. Three deacons — Dcn. Dan Powers, Dcn. Richard Labrecque, and Dcn. Stewart Adams — assist with pastoral care. Day-to-day operations are handled by a regional team that includes a Pastor's Executive Assistant, an Office Manager, a Communications Assistant, a Bookkeeper, a Facilities Supervisor, and a Regional Pastoral Assistant for Administration. The parish is part of an Archdiocese of Seattle 'Parish Family 49' grouping with the other Olympic Peninsula parishes.

• Rev. Jacob M. Maurer — Pastor
• Rev. Edward G. White — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Naresh Gali — Parochial Vicar
• Dcn. Dan Powers
• Dcn. Richard Labrecque
• Dcn. Stewart Adams
• Christy Brown — Pastor's Executive Assistant
• Maria Stewart — Office Manager
• Danielle Burnette — Communications Assistant
• Rafael Flores — Facilities Supervisor
• John Nolan — Regional Pastoral Assistant for Administration

Faith Formation & Religious Education

St. Joseph offers faith formation for all ages through the parish's 'Learning' programs. For adults considering becoming Catholic or completing their sacraments, OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults — the new name for the former RCIA process) is offered, with coordinators available at all three parish locations (Sequim, Port Angeles, and Forks). Children and youth are served through weekly Religious Education classes, a two-year Confirmation program for baptized youth ages 12–17, and a First Communion class. Adult Scripture studies meet regularly in small-group format; check the weekly bulletin for current times and locations.

• OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults
• Children's Religious Education (weekly classes)
• First Communion preparation (Wednesdays, Parish Hall)
• Confirmation — two-year program for youth ages 12–17
• Adult Scripture Studies (small groups)

Parish Ministries & Groups

Parish life at St. Joseph is built around a wide range of lay-led ministries, both spiritual and social. The Forged Youth Group gathers high-schoolers in the Parish Hall on Sundays. Adult fellowship and prayer groups include the Women's Prayer Group (Thursdays), the Prayer Shawl Ministry (Mondays), and Hearts 'n Hands Sewing & Crafts (Wednesdays). The Peninsula Men's Gospel Choir rehearses and sings at Sunday liturgies. Outreach and service are carried out through the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, and the parish's longstanding twinning with Uganda Parish in Kabuwoko. Liturgical roles are filled by the Choir, Altar Society, Altar Servers, and Ministers of the Altar. The Hispanic Community hosts periodic social hours following the monthly Spanish Mass.

• Forged Youth Group (high school, Sundays in Parish Hall)
• Women of St. Joseph
• Women's Prayer Group — Thursdays, 1:00 pm, Parish Hall
• Prayer Shawl Ministry — Mondays, 12:00 pm
• Hearts 'n Hands Sewing & Crafts — Wednesdays, 10:00 am, Parish Hall
• Peninsula Men's Gospel Choir — Sundays, 3:30 pm, church
• Knights of Columbus (monthly council meeting, Parish Hall)
• Legion of Mary
• St. Vincent de Paul
• Hispanic Community (hosts periodic social hours)
• Altar Society, Choir, Altar Servers, Ministers of the Altar
• Uganda Parish (Kabuwoko) — mission/charity partnership

Sacraments

The parish celebrates all the usual Catholic sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled in advance with the pastor and include required pre-baptismal instruction. First Communion and Confirmation each have their own preparation tracks. Couples seeking marriage should contact the parish office. The sick and dying may be anointed, and the broader Olympic Peninsula Catholic family maintains a dedicated emergency line (360-809-6907) for situations involving death or dying. Adults not yet in full communion with the Church enter through OCIA.

• Baptism (by arrangement with the pastor; pre-baptismal instruction required)
• First Communion
• Confirmation (two-year program for youth ages 12–17)
• Marriage (contact parish office)
• Anointing of the Sick
• OCIA (for unbaptized adults or those completing their sacraments)

Visiting & Contact

The parish office at 121 E. Maple St., Sequim, is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, and the church building is open during those same office hours. The mailing address and phone number are the same as the office, and the parish email is [email protected]. A directions link is provided on the parish's contact page. Newcomers are encouraged to register by phoning the parish office or by picking up a registration sheet in the church library.

• Address — 121 E. Maple St., Sequim, WA 98382
• Phone — (360) 683-6076
• Fax — (360) 683-4674
• Email — [email protected]
• Office hours — Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–2:00 pm
• Web — clallamcatholic.org
• New parishioners — register by phone or pick up a form in the church library

Olympic Peninsula Catholic Parish Family

St. Joseph is one of five parishes and missions in the Archdiocese of Seattle's Olympic Deanery, sharing pastoral and administrative resources under the Partners in the Gospel initiative. The other parishes in this family are Queen of Angels in Port Angeles (the parent parish from which St. Joseph was founded in 1916), St. Anne in Forks, St. Thomas the Apostle mission in Clallam Bay, and St. Mary Star of the Sea in Port Townsend. Starting in 2024, the 136 parishes of the Archdiocese of Seattle were reorganized into 60 parish families — each working toward forming one new canonical parish over the following three years.

• St. Joseph — Sequim
• Queen of Angels — Port Angeles
• St. Anne — Forks
• St. Thomas the Apostle — Clallam Bay (mission)
• St. Mary Star of the Sea — Port Townsend