UPDATE (July 8, 2021)
We are excited to be open for a 5pm Saturday Mass and an 10am Sunday Mass. Both of these masses will be limited to 100 people on a first come first served basis so no need to register in advance. We are also excited to announce we will be having Communion in its normal spot in mass so no longer at the end. Mass will still look different, as there will be no singing, no passed baskets, and no kiss of peace.
We are also continuing to require masks for all adults and children over 2. This will allow us to welcome the most people back and to help keep everyone safe and healthy. We understand families with children under two would like to attend mass so we will have our quiet room open for a limited number of those families with children that are unable to safely wear a mask. If you don’t feel comfortable or cannot wear a mask we ask that you continue to participate through live-streamed masses at home to best protect the health and safety of our whole community. Click here to find livestreamed masses.
We are not yet able to open Immaculate Conception because of social distancing and space limitations. We invite you to join our Community and attend mass at St John Bosco.
Office is Open!
We are happy to help you in the office Tuesday-Friday from 9am-2pm. We are continuing to require masks for all, follow social distancing and the transparent office window will remain closed during operating hours in an effort to keep our staff, their families, and our community safe. Please be sure you follow posted signs and guidelines.
Not all the staff will be available at the office on a given day. If you are trying to reach a specific staff member please call ahead or email them. All contact info is available on our website here.
Volunteers Needed!
With more masses, we will need additional volunteers to make sure they run smoothly and to not over work our current volunteers. We have a variety of ways you can help.
To learn more about these Jobs and to sign up please click here or contact Terri at terrinelson@stjbosco.org.
Mass Info Mass Volunteers Contact Us
UPDATE (June 23, 2021)
As vaccination rates continue to rise and Washington State begins to further lift restrictions, we will also start slowly lifting some of our restrictions with guidance of the Archdiocese of Seattle. However, please keep in mind that the archdiocese has given the Pastors/Administrators/PC’s of parishes the final decision on what can and may be done in their specific churches when relaxing previous Mass reopening. Our parish may not be able to offer the same opportunities as neighboring parishes due to size, space limitations, and other circumstances.
While we are all eager for this “to be over,” we must remember that there are many among us who are unable to get vaccinated and are at a high risk of contracting the virus, especially the dangerous Delta strain. This means we will be continuing to require everyone to wear a mask and practice physical distancing.
We are excited to announce other changes and Updates. Please, read more about them below.
• Pre-Registration no longer required
• Saturday 5pm Mass starting July 3rd
• Office Open: Tuesday-Friday 9am-2pm
• Parish Groups able to meet in the Building
• Volunteers Needed
Indoor Mass Sundays at 10am and Saturdays at 5pm
We are excited to announce we will be opening a 5pm mass on Saturdays starting July 3rd. We will continue to have a 10am Mass on Sundays. Both of these masses will be limited to 100 people on a first come first served basis so no need to register in advance. Mass will continue to look different. There will be no singing, no passed baskets, and no kiss of peace. Communion will take place at the end with ushers directing you to receive and then exit the building.
We are also continuing to require masks for all adults and children over 2. This will allow us to welcome the most people back and to help keep everyone safe and healthy. We understand families with children under two would like to attend mass so we will have our quiet room open for a limited number of those families with children that are unable to safely wear a mask. If you don’t feel comfortable or cannot wear a mask we ask that you continue to participate through live-streamed masses at home to best protect the health and safety of our whole community. Click here to find livestreamed masses.
We are not yet able to open Immaculate Conception because of social distancing and space limitations. We invite you to join our Community and attend mass at St John Bosco.
Check out our Mass Guidelines here.
Office is Open! Tuesday-Friday 9am-2pm
We are happy to help you in the office Tuesday-Friday from 9am-2pm. We are continuing to require masks for all and the transparent office window will remain closed during operating hours in an effort to keep our staff, their families, and our community safe. Only one person/family may enter the office lobby at a time. All other parishioners are to wait in the Parish Hall for assistance maintaining a 6ft distance. Please be sure you follow posted signs and guidelines.
Not all the staff will be avaible at the office on a given day. If you are trying to reach a specific staff member please call ahead or email them. All contact info is available on our website here.
Building Reopen for Parish Group Meetings in July.
We are excited to reopen the building to our Parish Groups to meet. Each group will have to follow posted guidelines, sanitize their space, and continue to mask. Please note we are not allowing groups to have food at their meetings or access to the kitchen at this time. To schedule your meeting please contact the parish office.
Volunteers Needed!
With more masses, we will need additional volunteers to make sure they run smoothly and to not over work our current volunteers. We have a variety of ways you can help.
To learn more about these Jobs and to sign up please click here or contact Terri at terrinelson@stjbosco.org.
UPDATE (June 7, 2021)
We are open for indoor mass at 10am and have made a slight change to our mask policy. We are still requiring masks for all adults and children over 2. This will allow us to welcome the most people back and to help keep everyone safe and healthy. We also understand families with children under two would like to attend mass so we will be opening up our quiet room for a limited number of these families who have children that are unable to safely wear a mask. If you don’t feel comfortable or cannot wear a mask we ask that you continue to participate through live-streamed masses at home to best protect the health and safety of our whole community. Click here to find livestreamed masses.
Please read below for other details regarding reopening the office and about indoor mass.
UPDATE (May 25, 2021)
Open for Outdoor Mass June 6th.
We are so excited to be reopening for Indoor Mass Sunday June 6th at 10am. To begin we will be requiring registration and capping attendance to 100 people. This will allow us to assess numbers and attendance so we can look into opening more masses and space. Registration will be available online May 31st.
Please remember that mass will look a little different we will have no passed baskets, no singing, and no sign of peace. In addition Communion will look different. We will be coming out with documents in the coming weeks with guidelines and additional info so check our website for updates.
Also we do not yet have a vaccinated section, so for now we must uphold our current guidelines. This means everyone must wear a mask and remain socially distance. Logistically, we are not set up yet to follow the Governor’s guidelines for religious organizations. We also want to better understand how our parish community feels about this topic.
Masks are still Required for All. (we have made changes see are latest update above)
While we wish we could accommodate and welcome everyone back to in person mass, safety of all is paramount and everyone (adults & children) must wear a mask. If you or your child cannot wear a mask (ie, infants & children under 2), we ask that you continue to participate through live-streamed masses at home. Click here to find livestreamed masses.
We will continue to monitor guidelines, updates & disease rates from the State Dept. Of Health, Pierce County, and the Archdiocese before making further changes to mask protocol.
Parish Office Reopening June 8th: Tueday-Friday, 9am-2pm
We are excited to be reopening the office June 8th. The Office will be open Tuesday-Friday from 9am-2pm.
Please remember we will be requiring masks for all and social distancing. So please be sure to follow posted signs and Guidelines. Another change is the Office window will be kept closed to better protect all. We are still able to hear you and help you.
Not all the staff will be avaible at the office on a given day so if you are trying to reach a specific staff member please call ahead or email them. All contact info is available on our website here.
Parish Groups Meeting Inside starting July.
Starting in July we will be allowing parish groups to meet in person inside as long as all guidelines and requirements are followed. More info will be sent out to group leaders about requesting space and requirements.
Questions? Email Terri Nelson at terrinelson@stjbosco.org
UPDATE (May 17, 2021)
We have updated the registration process for Outdoor Mass. We are now encourgaing people to register so we can be make setup easier so we know how many chairs to bring out and where to seat everyone according to Covid-19 Guidelines. We will not turn you away if you are unable to register. If you would like to be added to the list to attend mass every week please email Cassie Denning at cassiedenning@stjbosco.org or call the parish Office. Please remember we are still requiring masks for all. Register for mass here.
UPDATE (May 4, 2021)
We still do not have a date set for reopening the office it will be announced when we move to Phase 3. An email will be sent when we have finalized the reopening date. In the mean time you are still able to contact us via phone or email. For staff contact information click here.
We would love to reopen for Indoor Mass but cannot do so until we have more volunteers signed up and trained. If you would like to volunteer use the button below to sign up. All ages are welcome to volunteer, if you have any questions about what it entails please click here or email Terri Nelson. It will take our entire community to come together for reopening.
These volunteers must be trained in advance before we can be approved for reopening. They will also be put into teams that will be scheduled to cover at least 2 Sunday’s a month for the foreseeable future.
We will continue to have Sunday Masses outside for 75 people under our sheltered entrance areas with masking strictly enforced. To attend you must register in advance using the form available here.
UPDATE (April 14, 2021)
We had planned to reopen the office this month for public Business but with the rollback to phase 2 are unable to reopen. We are hoping to reopen in May. In the meantime, you are still able to contact us via phone or email. For staff contact information click here.
We are continuing with Outdoor masses for up to 75 persons - masks strictly enforced. This means all adults and children must wear a mask. If you or your child cannot wear a mask (ie, infants & children under 2), we ask that you continue to participate through live-streamed masses at home. For more info on live-streamed masses click here. While we wish we could accommodate and welcome everyone back to live mass, safety of all is paramount. For More info on what to expect at mass and to sign up click here.
Indoor mass is in preplanning stages and need volunteers to sign up now. Without volunteers for - Usher Teams, Welcome and hospitality Teams, Cleaning/Sanitizing teams - trained and in place - we cannot reopen. All volunteer teams must train in advance before approval for reopening. Teams will be scheduled to cover at least 2 Sunday’s a month for the foreseeable future. It will take our entire community to come together for reopening. For more info on volunteering and signing up click here.
UPDATE (March 4, 2021)
We hope you all had a wonderful start to Lent. Another monthly newsletter just went out read it here.
We continue to celebrate mass together outside on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am. We have utilized our existing sheltered entrance areas for mass to better protect everyone from the wind and rain. Registration for mass is available here or by calling the parish office.
We have put together the Mass Schedule for Lent. We will have Mass every Sunday at 10:00am to attend please register here. We will kick off Holy week with a Palm Sunday Mass and Drive Thru Palm Pick Up on March 28th. Registration for Holy Week will begin Monday March 22nd on our website. For the full schedule click the Lent Schedule button below.
All Liturgies will take place outside. We will be using the existing covered entrances around the church and we will have tents to put up to protect additional seating from rain if needed. We have speakers and microphones for all to be able to hear the prayers, readings, and homily.
UPDATE (February 5, 2021)
We hope you all had a wonderful start the year. Another monthly newsletter just went out read it here.
We continue to celebrate mass together outside on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am. We have utilized our existing sheltered entrance areas for mass to better protect everyone from the wind and rain. Registration for mass is available here or by calling the parish office.
The Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday on February 17, 2021. Here at St. John Bosco, we will celebrate mass outside at 12:00 NOON. To register click here.
Following guidelines from the Archdiocese concerning COVID-19, Fr. Marc will bless a supply of ashes that will be placed in small containers that may be picked up after communion. These changes minimize the necessity of physical contact between minister and recipient and remove the need for the minister to speak while in close proximity to the recipient. During mass, Fr. Marc will say the prayer for blessing the ashes on the altar. He will sprinkle the ashes with holy water, without saying anything. Then he will address all those present and only once, says the formula as it appears in the Roman Missal, applying it to all in general, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel”.
For those unable to attend the mass on Ash Wednesday, we will be distributing ashes via drive up at the parish office entrance between 3:00-5:00 pm on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Ashes will be available until all have been distributed.
UPADTE (January 7, 2021)
We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! We just sent out our monthly Newsletter. To read it or Subscribe click here.
We are currently open for Outdoor Mass on Sundays at 10am for 50 people. To sign up please fill out the form on our website. If you have any issues with this you may also call the parish office at (253) 582-1028 to register.
We have received the canopies to protect the altar and congregation. So we can have mass rain or shine. We have also received a sound system so all are better able to hear the readings, homily, and prayers. We haven't found a way to combat the cold so be sure to dress warm.
Mass would not be possible with out our wonderful volunteers so thank you to our volunteers. If you would like to help out with set up, take down, and sanitizing, please email Terri Nelson.
UPDATE (December 3, 2020)
We Just sent out our Monthly Newsletter. To read it or Subscribe click here.
We are currently open for Outdoor Mass on Sundays at 10am. To sign up please fill out the form on our website. If you have any issues with this you may also call the parish office at (253) 582-1028 to register.
We have received the canopies to protect the altar and congregation. So we can have mass rain or shine. We have also received a sound system so all are better able to hear the readings, homily, and prayers. We haven't found a way to combat the cold so be sure to dress warm.
The Christmas and Advent Schedule is now available. We will have mass for the solminty of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th. Registration is now Available here.
UPDATE (November 4, 2020)
We just sent out our Monthly newsletter. To read it or subscribe click here.
We are currently open for Outdoor Mass on Sundays at 10am. To sign up please fill out the form on our website. If you have any issues with this you may also call the parish office at (253) 582-1028 to register.
To improve the experience of outdoor mass we are purchasing tents to cover both the altar and the congregation. This will help protect us from rain. We are also working hard to get a sound system so everyone will be able to hear. We haven't found a way to combat the cold so be sure to dress warm. As we attend mass we can remember our brothers and sisters less fortunate than us who make many sacrifices to attend mass.
To read more about the changes and to sign up for Mass click here.
Please be sure to check out the Archbishop's letter on Unity available below under Documents.
UPDATE (October 27, 2020)
Please join us for outdoor Mass on Sunday's at 10am. To sign up please fill out the form on our website. If you have any issues with this you may also call the parish office at (253) 582-1028 to register. Please read the list below about changes and things to expect at mass.
Sign Up Here
We hope to continue offering mass but please remember that dispensation to attend Sunday Mass remains in effect. If you are vulnerable by either age or health, please continue utilizing live stream masses available throughout the archdiocese.
Things to Remember:
If you have any questions please contact the parish office.
UPDATE (September 3, 2020)
We are happy to share that we will now be sending out Monthly Newsletters via Constant Contact. Check out the first one here. In the newsletter we include important news about reopening, read it below.
We know that many are anxious to attend mass again soon, and so are we! In preparation to welcome you back, we will be doing a Dry-run through with our volunteers to ensure they know what to do and to welcome you all back safely. If you drive past the church and see a group gathering for mass on September 13th, be aware that it is our volunteers who are training and preparing to welcome you back.
Once we are prepared to are open for masses, we will be sure to let you all know and provide you with instructions on how to register. Please note that we will begin with Outdoor Mass and will be limiting Initial attendance to 50 attendees. Our anticipated reopening is mid-September.
Continue to check back here for more infomation.
Email Terri Nelson with any questions at terrinelson@stjbosco.org.
UPDATE (July 20, 2020)
Your St. John Bosco staff continues to monitor the information from the Tacoma Pierce County Health Dept., Governor Inslee’s office and the Federal Government regarding the continual spread of COVID-19 in our area. Our ultimate goal is the full restoration of parish life with prudence.
In light of the rising spread-curve reports by our local health department (featuring NO sustained drop in spread in our county in weeks), non-binding but sobering cautions and advice from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), recent closures of churches around the country (some of whom only recently re-opened), and the fact that our pastor and many parishioners have underlying health issues that make us virus-vulnerable, we have made the difficult decision to POSTPONE our REOPENING PLANS at this time.
We will revisit reopening when there is at least two or more weeks of a drop in spread in numbers in our county, or at least a lower spread curve that remains static for 2 or more weeks.
At the time the Seattle Archdiocese announced reopening of parishes, there had been a sustained decrease in cases that met the requirements of the bishops and governor. Unfortunately, we discovered a major water break located under the church that required weeks of bids, construction & repair, followed by cleaning and sanitizing. Therefore, we now find ourselves at the crossroads of higher numbers today than when the Archdiocese originally closed parishes back in April.
Please know that these safety measures are being taken, not out of fear, but out of love for neighbor and utmost concern for the vulnerable in our parish community. We are fully aware that a large percentage of our community is in this vulnerable category and will do our utmost to ensure the safety and health of everyone.
In the meantime, a reminder that:
We will keep you updated as we continue to monitor the data. Thank you for your patience and understanding. It is important and necessary that we are in strict compliance with all guidelines before opening for public celebration of the Mass.
In Christ,
Your St. John Bosco Staff
You can find a PDF of this letter above in the documents tab.
If you did not recieve this in an email and would like to please send your email address to Terri or Laurie.
UPDATE (May 1, 2020)
Gov. Inslee has extended the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order until May 31st. The Church and parish offices will remain closed through the 31st. Staff is still available by email or voicemail. Our prayers are with you and your family during these uncertain times. In Christ's love, your SJB/IC staff.
UPDATE (April 10, 2020)
Please take a look at the great resource in the Documents Tab. It is a great Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook that may help you during this difficult time. Also check out the Reflections Fr Marc has been putting out every week to stay connected with our community.
UPDATE (April 2, 2020)
As most of you have probably already heard, Gov. Inslee has extended the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" until May 4th. This means that our parish offices will remain closed for public business until May 4, 2020. We are still available by email or voicemail. Please know that we are continuing to pray for all of you during these uncertain times. Please continue to check your emails for updates from staff.
UPDATE (March 23, 2020)
Gov. Jay Inslee issed the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order today, closing all non-essential businesses, including churches, until March 31, 2020. This means that our parishes offices are closed for public business. We are still able to remotely access email and voicemail. Parishioners are asked to either switch to On-line GIving, mail your envelopes to the parish office, or bring envelopes and drop them in our secure mailbox in the front of the church.
UPDATE (March 13, 2020)
We do not cease being Catholic because parish events or Masses are cancelled. We have a great opportunity now for intense prayer, study and charitable works individually, which is what Lent is about.
UPDATE (March 12, 2020)
Currently, the parish office is open for business Tuesday - Friday from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. The church is open for private prayer with the Blessed Sacrament during the hours the office is open. In an effort to help us maintain the sanitization of the space, please inform the parish office you are here upon your arrival. Further information regarding either livestreaming masses or other options will be made available tomorrow.
UPDATE (March 11, 2020 - 7:30 pm)
This afternoon we received notification from the Archdiocese of Seattle that Archbishop Etienne has order that "all public celebrations of the Eucharist be suspended". This means that all Daily and Weekly Masses at both St. John Bosco and Immaculate Conception in Steilacoom are cancelled until further notice. Today's directive was made for the common good and for the people of God entrusted in our care - many of whom are considered high risk and vulnerable. We must do our part to slow down this epidemic.
In light of the archbishop's directive, please know that you are temporarily dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass until the coronavirus danger lessens and masses are reinstated.
Please check the link above for further information and a video from Archbishop Etienne.
UPDATE (March 11, 2020, 4:00 pm)
In light of the rapidly changing and fluid nature of information and guidance being received on the Covid-19/Coronavirus spread in our area, we have taken the following steps to help minimize the spread of the virus within our community. Please bear with us, as information is changing on a daily basis. We will update this section as more information is available.
Precautionary measures taken to date:
As we continue to monitor things, with input from the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Dept., and the Office of the State Governor; please remember most of all to pray for our bishops and priests, our staff and volunteers, and our parish community.
At this time, all Masses will continue, as scheduled, unless otherwise directed by the Archdiocese.