During World War II, the area that is now St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish was divided into 5-acre parcels which were advertised as being 'best suited for chicken farming'. In 1979, the pastors of St. Brendan & St. Mary Magdalen Parishes recognized the need for a new parish and worked out the area of the new 'satellite' parish of St. Brendan's - the first in the archdiocese. In1983, our parish met in Silver Lake Elementary, and then expanded to a storefront in Market Place Square. By early 1985, the 'satellite' idea was not working and our parish became the 132nd parish in the Archdiocese of Seattle.

Our early parishioners and leaders valued Christian education, so on January 4,1985 they took a vote and proudly proclaimed Elizabeth Ann Seton, our patron. Deborah Colón, our first Religious Education director, laid the groundwork for the quality RE program we now offer: pre-school through teen activity programs of EDGE & LIFETEEN.

Fr. "Jay" performed the first official baptism on January 12, 1985. In April 25, children received their First Communion and on May 7th, Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen confirmed 27.

We raised over $2 million to buy an additional 10 acres and construct the church and classrooms we've worshipped in since 1987.

From that inauspicious beginning, the area as well as our parish family, has grown in diversity and flourished. In 2009, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish is the 5th largest parish in the archdiocese - based on average Mass attendance, and the 11th largest - based on our 1895 registered families.

In 2010, we celebrated 25 years as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish! Fr. Oliver's sentiments: "We began our journey as a parish community that was open & friendly. Please God, we will continue as such a parish, wishing to share what we have received!"

February 1984
Services held at Marketplace Shopping Center

January 1985
The parish is established with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton as our Patron Saint

March 1985
Rev. Oliver F. Duggan assigned as Pastor

June 1987
1st Mass in the new Church on 180th St.

September 1991
The Colón Center for Religious Education is dedicated

June 2000
Seton House is dedicated by Archbishop Alexander Brunett

August 2000
Rev. Eusebio Elizondo, M.SpS. assigned as Pastor
Rev. Jorge Gomez del Valle, M.SpS. assigned as Parochial Vicar

June 2005
Fr. Eusebio Elizondo consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle

July 2005
Rev. Conrad Aquino, M.SpS. assigned as Priest Administrator

July 2008
Rev. Edgar Sanchez, M.Sp.S. assigned as Priest Administrator

October 2008
Seton House is rededicated as an Educational Center

January 2009
Deacon José Ugaldé, M.Sp.S. is ordained Priest

Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821), educator & philanthropist, was the first native-born American to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Born Elizabeth Ann Bayley on August 28, 1774 in New York City, she was a devout Episcopalian and worked extensively with the poor, especially women and children. She married William Seton in 1794, a successful merchant, and they had five children. When his father died, Will and Elizabeth took on the responsibilities of the family business as well as the welfare of his half-siblings. It was her first experience in educating children. Within three years, Will contracted tuberculosis and lost the business. Hoping for a cure, they traveled to Italy in 1803, to stay with friends in Pisa. The Filicchi's, along with Elizabeth's interest in Catholicism, were her solace when Will died.

When Elizabeth returned to the U.S. in June 1804, her family and friends were adamantly against her new beliefs and feared her influence on their children. This made it difficult to secure a well-paid teaching position to provide for her own five "darlings", but she remained faith-filled, convinced that God had a Plan for her. Elizabeth identified with our Blessed Virgin Mary and asked for her guidance in the True Faith. She converted in spite of the prejudice in1805 and took "Mary" for her Confirmation name. From that point on, Elizabeth often signed herself "MEAS", for Mary Elizabeth Ann Seton.

After trying unsuccessfully for years to open a religious school for children, she met Rev. Louis Dubourg, a Sulpician priest, interested in forming a congregation of religious women to teach girls in Baltimore. Already showing signs of tuberculosis, she moved to Maryland and established the Sisters of Charity. On June 16, 1809, they appeared for the first time dressed in a black dress, cape and bonnet patterned after the widow's weeds of women in Italy - Elizabeth's place of conversion. Elected the first superior of the order, "Mother Seton" held that office until her death. By 1818, the sisters had established two orphanages and two schools. Today, six groups of sisters originated and have spread around the U.S. from Mother Seton's original congregation of eighteen Sisters of Charity.

Elizabeth was a prolific writer. She wrote meditations, instructions, poetry, & hymns. Her journals are both spiritual reflections and a biography. Her meditations deal with sacraments, virtue & biblical themes. Her instructions prepared children for their First Communion, and aided the Sisters of Charity in the topics of service, charity, eternity & the Blessed Sacrament.

Pope Paul VI canonized Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton September 14, 1975, the International Year of the Woman. She is the Patron Saint of widows, those who lose children to death, have in-law problems, and those people who are ridiculed for their piety.

A woman whose life is an outstanding model for all people, she explained her faith journey: "Faith lifts the staggering soul on one side, hope supports it on the other, experience says it must be, and love says let it be."

Through divine will, we have been called to radically follow Christ - Priest and Victim, with the sole desire of transforming our life in Him and sharing his priestly sentiments. As religious, we are animated by His same qualities and virtues of love, purity and sacrifice. We want to live the Spirituality of the Cross, which nourishes our life and service, and its symbol is the Cross of the Apostleship.

We were founded by Father Felix de Jesus Rougier (1859-1938) on December 25th 1914, in Mexico City. After many years of petitioning his Marist superiors, he was released to form the men's religious community perceived by Conchita as "his God-given vocation". Although stricken with arthritis from an early age, he founded many religious orders and lived by his words: "That you love the Father in heaven a great deal, as Jesus did. And that you be able to say with Him: I always do what pleases my Father."

We are one of the Five Works of the Cross, inspired by Concepcion Cabrera de Armida (Conchita, 1862-1937), a wife, mother of nine children, a widow and a mystic. Her spiritual dedication began in 1894, and her religious writings and meditations total over 60,000 hand-written pages. In one of her writings, Seasons of the Soul, she compares one's spiritual journey to the Seasons - which continuously repeat themselves until that soul has fulfilled its purpose here on earth. Throughout this journey, the Holy Spirit gradually transforms that soul in the image and likeness of Jesus, the Savior of Mankind. Pope John Paul II declared her venerable on December 20, 1999 and she is currently in the process of beatification.

As Missionaries of the Holy Spirit priests, we live in community, serve the Church in different dioceses and contribute our spirituality to the people of God we serve through: parish ministry, spiritual direction, vocational ministry, preaching in retreats, spiritual exercises, spiritual assistance in seminaries, and spiritual and ministerial support for priests.

The Missionaries of the Holy Spirit at Mt Angel, Oregon are viewed as a bridge between cultures.

"By virtue of Baptism we are all called to live together as sisters and brothers. Hence, we cannot be satisfied with coexistence with different cultures from a distance or simply with mutual toleration. The fact that we are a Catholic church and that we take our union with Jesus Christ seriously requires that our different cultures become better acquainted and establish relationships in the pastoral, liturgical and social frameworks. The Missionaries of the Holy Spirit are God's gift to us in our efforts to accomplish that goal." --Archbishop John Vlazny, Chairman of the Board for Oregon Catholic Press.