Pope Francis has inaugurated the 2025 Jubilee Year, a time of grace and renewal for the Catholic Church. Recognizing that not everyone can journey to Rome, Archbishop Etienne has designated St. Joachim Church at Lummi as one of five pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Why St. Joachim?
St. Joachim holds a special place in our community:
- Connection to St. Kateri Tekakwitha: The miraculous healing of Jake Finkbonner, a Lummi descendant and member of our parish, through St. Kateri’s intercession, underscores her ongoing presence and call to deepen our faith.
- Historical Significance: As we commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Seattle, we honor the foundational role of Native American Catholics in our Church’s history.
Your Invitation to Participate
We warmly invite you to engage in this Jubilee Year through the following opportunities:
1. Make a Pilgrimage: Experience the spiritual richness of St. Joachim by attending Mass:
- Sundays: 8:30 am
- Thursdays: 5:00 pm
Alternatively, spend time in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith, and invocations to Mary.
2. Receive a Plenary Indulgence: By fulfilling the following conditions, you can obtain a plenary indulgence during your visit:
- Be in a state of grace.
- Receive sacramental confession and Holy Communion within 20 days before or after your visit.
- Be free from attachment to sin.
- Pray for the intentions of the Pope.
3. Support St. Joachim:
- Donate: Assist with essential maintenance projects by contributing an amount equivalent to five hours of your salary. A special fund has been established for this purpose. See below for a donation link and description of the restoration work.
- Volunteer: Help welcome pilgrims by opening the church and providing hospitality. Volunteer opportunities are available on:
- Thursdays: 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Sundays: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Training will be provided. To sign up, visit this link or email Olivia at [email protected].
4. Pray for the Lummi Community: Join us in praying for the spiritual renewal of the Lummi people and the mission of St. Joachim Church.
Restoring St. Joachim:
A Legacy of Faith and Beauty
As we celebrate the Jubilee Year, we have a unique opportunity to restore St. Joachim Church, ensuring it remains a place of prayer, pilgrimage, and community for generations to come. This sacred space holds deep historical and spiritual significance—now is the time to preserve it!
All Potential Projects Total: $336,000
Phase 0
This phase costs no money and instead relies on volunteers to come together as a community to take care of the exterior grounds and deep clean the interior of the church. We will be restoring the choir loft to the Church, allowing the choir to return to singing in its original place. Moving the choir will also allow for the creation of a devotional shrine near the altar. We will also work on freshening up the grounds, power washing, and cleaning the exterior.
Phase 1 (Immediate Needs): $11,000
New Church Sign
$4,000
Create a new church sign with correct contact information, Mass times, and name of Pastor.
Memorial Plaque for Chief Henry Kwina
$500
The original church location down by the river regularly flooded, so Chief Henry Kwina donated the current plot of land to which moved and on which it now stands. This plaque, added to the Centennial shrine, will commemorate this donation.
Informational Plaque for “The Arrival”
$500
“The Arrival” is a traditional carving, installed in the St. Joachim parking lot, commemorating the coming of Fr. Chirouse to Lummi. This plaque would explain the carving to visitors.
Repair Lights
$6,000
Fix the interior lighting of the church to ensure that it is up to electrical and fire code, while giving a more ambient and less office-like atmosphere. This will require an electrician.
Phase 2 (Pilgrimage Goals): $35,000
Repair Centennial Shrine
$10,000
In 1961, St. Joachim erected an outdoor shine in celebration of the 100th anniversary of its founding. This shrine has fallen into disrepair. Repair will include exterior woodwork, repainting, replacing any damaged roofing tiles, and power washing exterior.
Repair Hall Roof
$10,000
Patch and repair social hall roof, which has historically leaked.
Repair “The Arrival”
$10,000
“The Arrival” is a traditional carving, installed in the St. Joachim parking lot, commemorating the coming of Fr. Chirouse to Lummi. The paint has almost completely disappeared, leaving the wood susceptible to moss and rot. This repair would include sanding and wood repair, repainting, and relandscaping the base.
Interior St. Kateri Shrine
$5,000
Create a St. Kateri Shrine in the devotional space next to the altar, including a votive stand, information regarding the St. Kateri, and relevant carpentry.
Phase 3 (Preserving for the Future): $50,000
Repair the Exterior of the Church
$50,000
We need to repair the exterior of the church due to water damage on the front left side. Depending on the damage to the church, we will need to repair any damaged fascia, flashing, siding, and insulation; and repaint where needed with these repairs. This also factors in any structural repairs that will need to be done.
Phase 4 (Beautifying and Elevating): $110,000
New Doors for the Building
$20,000
This includes new locks and interior and exterior doors. We hope to create arched and more aesthetically pleasing doors for the entrance of the church.
Creation of New Walkways
$15,000
Update exterior walkways, including up to the centennial shrine. Create seating area and widening of concrete area for the centennial shrine.
Interior Structural Repairs
$75,000
Interior repairs will be done in the hall and sanctuary where needed. Specific repair of stained-glass window and water damage in the choir loft area. If there is money left, repair original church foot-pump organ.
Phase 5 (Reach Goals): $130,000
Fix Pews
$20,000
Repair pews in the choir loft, fix any damaged pews, update pews in the church hall.
Landscape
$20,000
Update exterior landscape with native trees, plants and shrubbery. Either remove or prune trees on the advice of an arborist.
Paint Interior of the Church
$30,000
Remove wood paneling, repair original wall material, and paint the interior of the church, choosing colors as close to original colors as can be determined.
Update Fence
$10,000
Create aesthetically pleasing fence that matches the historic nature of the church. Remove chain-link fence.
Update Altar and Sanctuary
$50,000
Provide updates to the altar and sanctuary, including potentially new altar, tabernacle, candle sticks.”
Be a Part of St. Joachim’s Future
Every gift, no matter the size, contributes to a lasting treasure for our community. If every parishioner donates just five hours of their wages or 1 hour of wages per week, we can make these restorations a reality. Join us in this incredible journey of faith and renewal!
Donate today and help restore St. Joachim for generations to come!
