A Pioneer Parish in Northeast Vancouver
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church sits on the corner of NE 119th Street in northeast Vancouver, Washington, a community it has served continuously since 1868. That year makes it one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the Pacific Northwest, predating statehood and stretching back to the era when missionaries from St. James Cathedral would travel into the forests of what was then a frontier settlement to celebrate Mass in the homes of early settlers. The original church was built with volunteer labor on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Thornton, among towering firs of the uncut forest. The Most Reverend A. M. A. Blanchet, First Bishop of Nisqually, dedicated the first church on November 5, 1868.
From those pioneer beginnings the parish has grown into a large bilingual community that describes itself as active and diverse. Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish every weekend, and a full slate of formation, service and fellowship ministries runs alongside the liturgical schedule. The parish is led today by Father Jose M. Alvarez, who was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Seattle in 2012 and came to St. John after serving as pastor of Sagrada Familia Parish in Seattle. In his first message to the parish, Father Jose said, "I come with the desire to listen, to accompany, to serve, and to walk with you as your pastor and brother in faith."
The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Seattle, and St. John operates as part of a regional cluster of parishes that includes St. Philip Catholic Church and St. Mary of Guadalupe Mission, as well as Sacred Heart Parish and St. Joseph the Worker Mission. The Archdiocese has invited St. John and its partner parishes into a multiyear initiative called Partners in the Gospel, a process designed to help neighboring parishes share resources and pastoral planning.
Mass in English and Spanish Every Week
St. John the Evangelist is a bilingual parish, and the weekend Mass schedule reflects that. On Saturday evening, the Vigil Mass is offered at 5:00 PM in English and at 7:00 PM in Spanish. On Sunday morning, Mass is celebrated at 9:00 AM in English and at 11:00 AM in Spanish. Both Sunday Masses are livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel so that homebound parishioners and those traveling can join in, and recordings remain available after the live broadcast.
Weekday Masses are offered three mornings a week in English: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 9:00 AM. A fourth weekday Mass is celebrated in Spanish on Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM. On Mondays and Tuesdays, when there is no Mass in the church, the community gathers at 9:00 AM for Morning Prayer with Communion.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard two times each week. On Wednesday afternoons, confessions are heard from 5:00 PM until 6:45 PM, and on Saturday afternoons from 3:30 PM until 4:30 PM. Quiet time for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament extends across the parish in two weekly blocks: Eucharistic Adoration runs from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM on Wednesdays, with the first Friday of every month set aside for an extended day of adoration from 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM, and the last Friday of the month closing the day with adoration from 9:00 PM until 10:00 PM.
Music for the liturgies is covered by the parish Music Ministry, which welcomes vocalists and instrumentalists of all ages. Middle school and high school youth are encouraged to take part. A separate team of laptop and soundboard operators handles the technical side of weekend Masses.
Sacraments for Every Stage of Life
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, and information about each is available through the parish office. Baptism is described in the parish's catechetical materials as the sacrament that ushers the faithful into divine life, cleanses them from sin and initiates them as members of the Christian community. The rite uses water, the anointing with sacred oil, the light of a candle lit from the Easter candle, and a white garment to mark the new Christian as priest, prophet and king. Infant baptisms are most common, but adults who have not been baptized are received into the Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at the Easter Vigil.
The other Sacraments of Initiation, Eucharist and Confirmation, are typically received by children through the parish's Faith Formation program. First Communion preparation is offered for children who are ready to receive Reconciliation and the Eucharist, and Confirmation preparation is offered for youth twelve and older who have completed a prior year of formation.
The Sacraments of Healing are Penance (also called Reconciliation) and the Anointing of the Sick. Penance is offered on the regular weekly schedule noted above, and priests bring the Anointing of the Sick to the homebound, to those in the hospital, and to anyone facing serious illness or the frailties of old age.
The Sacraments of Vocation are Marriage and Holy Orders. Couples preparing for marriage work with the parish through Marriage Ministries, which offers marriage preparation, Engaged and Marriage Encounter Weekends, and assistance with the annulment process in both English and Spanish. Young men discerning a call to priesthood can find information about Sacred Heart Seminary.
Faith Formation from First Communion Through Confirmation
Faith Formation at St. John the Evangelist is a family of programs that begins with the youngest children and continues through high school. The catechetical year typically runs from September through mid-May, with classes meeting on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM. First Communion classes prepare children to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist for the first time.
Youth Sacramental Preparation is offered for children aged twelve and older who have not yet received their First Communion. The Confirmation program is designed for teens in middle school and high school who have already completed one year of prior religious education, ministry, or formation. The Confirmation journey includes classroom sessions held after the Saturday 5:00 PM Mass in Vogel Hall, take-home assignments such as keeping a prayer journal and researching the seven sacraments, and a mandatory Confirmation Retreat held each year. The Confirmation Mass itself is celebrated as a parish liturgy, and teens are expected to identify a sponsor who will walk with them through the process.
The Faith Formation staff includes a Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation and a separate Pastoral Assistant for Children's Faith Formation, supported by bilingual catechists and classroom assistants. Volunteers who are bilingual in English and Spanish are in particular demand, and the parish notes a special need for assistants in the English language classrooms. All volunteers who work with minors must complete the Archdiocese's background screening, sign the policies of conduct, and finish the Protecting God's Children course within ninety days of beginning their ministry.
Youth Ministry on Wednesdays and Fridays
The parish's Youth Ministry reaches students in grades six through twelve with a steady rhythm of gatherings designed to build friendships and deepen faith. Middle school students are invited to Bible Study on the first Friday of every month at 7:00 PM, and high school students meet on the third Friday of every month at the same hour. All youth in grades six through twelve are welcome at the general Youth Group, which meets on the second and fourth Fridays of every month from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Refreshments are served at every gathering, and teens are encouraged to bring a Bible and a willingness to meet other Catholic young people from the area.
Confirmation candidates are expected to participate in the Youth Group and the Bible Study appropriate to their age for a full year before receiving the sacrament. Day retreats, service projects, and trips such as a Day Retreat at the Grotto round out the youth ministry calendar, and families can find a current calendar and registration forms. The Youth Ministry Coordinator works with adult volunteers who chaperone events, lead small groups, and assist at parish functions.
Liturgical Ministries Behind the Scenes
The Sunday and weekday liturgies at St. John the Evangelist are supported by a long list of lay liturgical ministries that invite parishioners to step into visible roles at Mass. Altar Servers assist the priest during Mass, and the role is open to any parishioner who has made their First Communion, including adults. Ministers of Holy Communion assist with the distribution of the Precious Body and Blood during Mass. Ushers help with the collection, guide parishioners during Communion, hand out bulletins, and direct worshippers as they enter the doors of the sanctuary.
The Music Ministry welcomes choir members, ensemble musicians, and singers of all kinds, and a separate team of laptop and soundboard operators handles the technical side of weekend Masses. A Bulk Mail Ministry gathers every few months to fold materials and stuff envelopes for parish-wide mailings, and a Funeral Receptions team supports bereaved families by helping serve refreshments after the funeral Mass.
The parish also relies on practical ministries that keep the buildings and grounds in good order. Church Cleaning teams rotate through the church on a regular schedule, and a Garden and Yard Care team helps with hand watering of plants and trees from spring through fall. The Cemetery Committee marks plots, opens and closes the columbariums (training is provided), and meets occasionally to coordinate the parish cemetery on Maitland Road. A Welcome Committee staffs the Welcome Desk after weekend Masses and assists with special events to greet those who are considering making the parish their spiritual family. A Quilting Ministry sews small quilts and other items for charity, and the Prayer Shawl Ministry knits and crochets prayer shawls for families who have recently lost a loved one. Parking Lot Security and Cemetery Parking ministries help direct traffic and keep everyone safe during Masses, special events, and interments.
Service Organizations and Outreach
Four longstanding service organizations call St. John the Evangelist home. The Catholic Daughters of America, Court 2105, has met at the parish since July 1974. The CDA participates in the religious, charitable and educational apostolate of the Catholic Church, and the local chapter gathers at 6:30 PM on the second Thursday of every month from September through June.
The Knights of Columbus, Council 12983, meets on the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM. The Knights are a fraternal service organization promoting social and intellectual fellowship among their members, and they support a wide range of parish and community initiatives.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul operates a parish conference at St. John that provides person-to-person service to neighbors in need. The conference runs a free food pantry, helps out-of-work families pay rent and utility bills, and arranges emergency hotel rooms for homeless families. The Legion of Mary cultivates an active, spiritual way of life for laypersons and gathers every Friday at 10:30 AM in Room E, with a mission that includes prayer, study, faith sharing, and works of spiritual consolation.
Marriage Ministries offer opportunities in both English and Spanish to walk with couples before and throughout their married life. In addition to the Marriage preparation work, the ministries support Engaged and Marriage Encounter Weekends and assist parishioners who are seeking an annulment.
The Parish Cemetery on Maitland Road
St. John's Cemetery is older than the present church building. Founded in 1868, it sits on land adjacent to where the original church, school and rectory once stood, at the corner of what is now Maitland Road and NE 109th Street. The Thorntons donated the original tract for both church and cemetery, and the towering firs of the uncut forest still lend the cemetery a sense of place rooted in the earliest days of the parish.
The cemetery includes a columbarium, and a Cemetery Committee supports the work of marking plots, opening and closing the columbarium niches, and helping families through the process of interment. Parishioners are encouraged to plan ahead for their own funeral arrangements to spare families difficulty in a difficult hour. When a loved one dies, the parish asks that a funeral home (the parish mentions Hamilton Mylan Funeral Home by name) be contacted first to handle burial arrangements, and then the parish office to schedule the funeral Mass. Upcoming funeral Masses are listed so that the community can come together to pray for the deceased and their families.
Supporting Catholic Schools in Clark County
St. John the Evangelist supports families who choose a Catholic education for their children through a parish subsidy program. The subsidy is available for students in kindergarten through eighth grade at any of the three local Catholic elementary schools in Clark County: Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Joseph, and other parish-supported schools. The parish also lists St. Elizabeth Ann Seton as the local Catholic high school, though the subsidy is not available for preschool or high school.
To qualify for the parish subsidy, families must keep an up-to-date parish registration on file, complete an annual financial stewardship pledge card each year and fulfill it as best they can, and attend weekend Mass while participating in parish programs and activities at St. John the Evangelist. An annual Statement of Active Parishioner form must be submitted to the parish office. The parish also points families to Sacred Heart Seminary as a step along the path toward priesthood for young men discerning that vocation.
Safe Environment and the Protection of Children
St. John the Evangelist follows the Archdiocese of Seattle's Safe Environment Program, established in 2007 to implement the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Any volunteer who works with youth under the age of eighteen or with vulnerable adults must complete a background check every three years, read and sign the archdiocesan policies on the prevention of and response to sexual abuse, and complete the Protecting God's Children awareness course within ninety days of beginning their service. The Archdiocese operates a confidential reporting hotline at (800) 446-7762 and at hotline@seattlearch.org for anyone who has suffered abuse or suspects abuse by clergy or anyone working on behalf of the Church.
Becoming Catholic, Returning Catholics, and the Newcomer Path
St. John the Evangelist welcomes newcomers with a clear set of pathways. Those who wish to register as parishioners can do so through the parish office. Returning Catholics who have been away from the practice of the faith and want to come back are invited to a dedicated ministry that walks with them at their own pace. People who are interested in learning more about the Catholic Church can begin with the parish's online materials on what Catholics believe, how the Church is structured, and how prayer and the liturgical calendar shape the Catholic way of life.
Those who want to become Catholic are welcomed into the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, typically culminating in reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil. The parish describes itself as a spiritual family that is supportive and loving, a place to grow spiritually, to put faith into action, and to use the gifts of time and talent as disciples of Christ. Visitors and newcomers are invited to contact the parish office at (360) 573-3325 to have a staff member follow up with them.
Stewardship, Giving, and Parish Life
Parish stewardship at St. John the Evangelist is built on the time, talent and treasure of the community. The Stewardship Coordinator works with parishioners to complete annual pledge cards, and the parish offers online giving through a secure portal where donors can set up recurring contributions, give one-time gifts, or remain anonymous. Contributions through online giving are credited to the donor's year-end tax statement, and the parish accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards in addition to direct bank transfers.
The Annual Appeal raises support for the work of the parish and the wider Archdiocese of Seattle. Parishioners can also give of their time through Time and Talent, the parish's sign-up for volunteer service, and they can reserve a meeting room at the parish for ministry events through the office of the administrative assistant. The Pastoral Council serves as a consultative body to the pastor, providing recommendations on parish priorities, directions and policies through pastoral planning and meeting on the third Thursday of every month from September through November and January through June.
The parish publishes a Friday email update for parishioners who want to stay informed, and a parish mobile app connects users to daily Mass readings and Sunday homilies. A bilingual parish bulletin is published regularly in both English and Spanish, and the parish shares news and reflections through a Facebook page and a YouTube channel. The parish app and the online giving portal can both be reached at stjohnvancouver.org.
Visiting St. John the Evangelist
The parish offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM, with a midday closure from 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM for lunch. The parish is located at 8701 NE 119th Street in Vancouver, Washington, and the main phone number is (360) 573-3325. Visitors are warmly welcomed at every weekend liturgy, and newcomers can register online or in person at the parish office. The Welcome Committee staffs a desk after weekend Masses to greet visitors and answer questions, and the parish offers an online contact form for those who would prefer that a staff member reach out to them. The parish is fully bilingual: English and Spanish Masses are celebrated every weekend, and the parish publishes a Spanish-language edition for the convenience of Spanish-speaking parishioners and visitors.