Every Saturday I download every parish bulletin from the Archdiocese of Seattle. All of them, to see what is going on. I have been doing this for months, and I want to share with you what is happening across parishes.
The Ordinary Times is what came out of that. One newsletter, every Sunday morning, summarizing what the parishes of the Archdiocese are actually doing that week. What is happening on Wednesday nights. Which parish is running a Vacation Bible School. Whose pastor is retiring. Where priests are moving to. Where the perpetual adoration chapel just opened. Which festival needs volunteers. What second collections are for. The week-in, week-out life of the parishes, in plain language.
Some things you will not get here:
Opinion pieces. Somebody else does that better.
National Catholic politics. Same.
Crisis coverage. There are places for that; this is not one.
Church-shopping recommendations. I am not going to tell you which parish is the best.
What you will get:
A Sunday email brief enough to read with coffee before Mass or anytime in the week.
Parish news pulled directly from parish bulletins, cited to source.
Occasional interviews with a pastor or lay leader when there is something particularly interesting going on.
No paywall.
Who I am: Mike Bassage-Glock. Catholic construction worker in Seattle. Father of two. I am not a journalist, and this is not a diocesan publication. Independent, lay-run, and every issue will say so at the top.
If any of this sounds useful, subscribe. Forward this to your pastor or friends if you think they might enjoy seeing what other parishes are doing. If I have missed your parish or gotten something wrong, send a note to [email protected].
The first real issue is coming. Subscribe and I will send it as soon as it is ready.
Mike Bassage