St. Pius X

About St. Pius X Parish

St. Pius X is a Roman Catholic parish in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, founded in 1955 under Archbishop Thomas Connolly of the Archdiocese of Seattle. It serves a bilingual community of English- and Spanish-speaking families in the northern Seattle suburbs and operates St. Pius X School, a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, and a full range of faith-formation, youth, and outreach ministries on a single shared campus on 58th Avenue W.

History of St. Pius X

St. Pius X Catholic Parish was established in 1955 by Archbishop Thomas Connolly of the Seattle Archdiocese, and its first pastor was Fr. Laurence O'Larey. The parish celebrated its first Mass on June 22, 1955, on land donated by the Peterson-LaPierre developers of the new Mountlake Terrace community. By the end of that year five Sunday Masses were already being celebrated to keep up with the influx of young families drawn to the area's affordable post-war housing.

• 1955: Parish established; first pastor Fr. Laurence O'Larey; first Mass on June 22, 1955.
• 1956: St. Pius X School opens with 200 students in grades 1–5, staffed by Sisters of Charity of the BVM; Sister Mary of the Divine Heart, first principal.
• 1983: New free-standing church building constructed south of the school; former church converted to multi-purpose social hall, lunchroom and gym.
• 1999: Last four BVM sisters retire to Dubuque, Iowa; parish convent renovated for school use.
• 2024: Fr. Miguel Márquez, M.Sp.S. installed as pastor of parish family pairing St. Pius X with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Bothell, under Partners in the Gospel.

Clergy and Staff

The parish is currently led by Rev. Miguel Márquez, M.Sp.S., who since 2024 serves as pastor of the new parish family grouping St. Pius X with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Bothell. He is assisted by two parochial vicars from the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit (M.Sp.S.), Rev. Lucio Villalobos and Rev. Juan Antonio Romero, and by Deacon Kirk Altenhofen.

• Rev. Miguel Márquez, M.Sp.S. — Pastor (also pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Bothell)
• Rev. Lucio Villalobos, M.Sp.S. — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Juan Antonio Romero, M.Sp.S. — Parochial Vicar
• Deacon Kirk Altenhofen
• Ericka Lopez — Hispanic Ministry
• Cesar Rodriguez — Youth Ministry
• Sr. Lily — Faith Formation
• Christian Carbajal — Staff
• Stephanie Moran — Pastoral Assistant for Administration
• Laura Martinez — Parish Administration

Faith Formation and Religious Education

Faith Formation at St. Pius X serves children in grades 1 through 5, preparing them for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. Following Archdiocese of Seattle guidelines, children are required to attend two years of formation; classes are held on Monday evenings from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM at St. Pius X School, with parallel parent classes at the same time. Children over the age of 7 who have not yet been baptized enter the Rite of Christian Initiation Adapted for Children (RCIC).

• Faith Formation for children grades 1–5
• First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation (two-year program)
• Parent Classes held simultaneously in a separate location
• RCIC for unbaptized children over age 7
• RCIA for adults (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)

Youth Ministry

Middle-school and high-school students are invited into the parish's Youth Ministry Sacramental Program. Coordinated by Cesar Rodriguez ([email protected]), it provides catechesis, sacrament preparation and community for teens beyond the elementary Faith Formation years.

• Youth Group Sacramental Program for middle and high school students
• Youth Minister: Cesar Rodriguez

Hispanic Ministry

The Hispanic Ministry, coordinated by Ericka Lopez, supports the parish's Spanish-speaking community. Three of the parish's Sunday Masses, the First Friday evening Mass, the Holy Day Vigil, and many sacramental and formational offerings are provided in Spanish, and confession times are explicitly bilingual.

• Three Sunday Spanish Masses (1:00 PM and 5:00 PM)
• First Friday Spanish Mass at 9:00 PM
• Holy Day Vigil Mass in Spanish at 7:00 PM
• Bilingual confessions
• Hispanic Ministry coordinator: Ericka Lopez

Outreach and Parish Organizations

Several lay organizations call St. Pius X home. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul runs the parish's outreach to local families in need — including the Christmas-basket gift-card program funded by the school's Scrip program. Catholic Daughters of America (CDA) hosts parish fundraisers such as the Spaghetti Dinner (with proceeds benefiting St. Pius X School and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul) and the Kash for Kids campaign. The SERRA Club of St. Pius X promotes vocations to the priesthood, religious life and diaconate, gathering on the third Thursday of each month for a 5:45 PM Mass, potluck dinner and keynote speaker.

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul
• Catholic Daughters of America (CDA) — Spaghetti Dinner, Kash for Kids
• SERRA Club of St. Pius X — monthly meetings for vocations
• Project Rachel referral — post-abortion healing retreats
• World Marriage Encounter referral

St. Pius X School

St. Pius X School opened in the fall of 1956, two years before the permanent church was built. Its first faculty was staffed by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with Sister Mary of the Divine Heart as the first principal; it opened with 200 students in grades 1 through 5, then expanded through grade 8. Four BVM sisters continued to teach on campus until 1999, when they retired to the BVM motherhouse in Dubuque, Iowa. The former parish convent was then renovated for school use (offices, nurse's station, parent club room, supply room and faculty kitchen), and a four-foot statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was placed in the courtyard. The school and parish continue to share a single campus centered on 58th Avenue W in Mountlake Terrace, supported across the decades by pastors, principals, staff, parishioners and the wider community.

• Opened fall 1956
• Original staff: Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM)
• First principal: Sister Mary of the Divine Heart
• Opened with 200 students in grades 1–5
• Grades 6–8 added in subsequent years
• BVM sisters taught on campus through 1999
• School website: https://www.stpx.org/

Partners in the Gospel (2024)

In 2024, as part of the Archdiocese of Seattle's Partners in the Gospel strategic pastoral planning initiative, St. Pius X was paired with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Bothell (98012) under a single pastor, Fr. Miguel Márquez, M.Sp.S. The parish family structure places the two parishes under shared pastoral leadership while each retains its own parish identity, school (St. Pius X has St. Pius X School; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton has its own), ministries, and worship schedule.

• Parish Family 10 under Partners in the Gospel
• Partner parish: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 2316 180th St. SE, Bothell, WA 98012-6534
• Pastor: Rev. Miguel Márquez, M.Sp.S.