About Us
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Our purpose is to celebrate a common faith in Jesus Christ, to stirve for unity, to seek reconciliation and to serve our fellow men and women. As full and active members of the Body of Christ, we live our lives in the freedom of the Gospel under the sign of the Cross, bearing witness in the wider world and within our own families. We draw nourishment from the sacramental life of the Church, especially through the weekly celebration of the Eucharist. With the grace of God we pray to discern the voice of the Spirit and acknowledge the face of Christ in all we meet.
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History
In 1969 five Catholic families, the original seed of what would eventually become Our Lady of the Lake Parish, began celebrating mass in an old school house in Scotts Valley. Services later moved to the Sunset Bay Café. The heartfelt desire of this dedicated group of faithful was to someday build a Catholic Church in this area.
Both Catholic and non-Catholic residents of the area joined together in 1970, and began construction of a Church/Community Center. With volunteer labor, the building was completed in 1972 and provided a home for Catholic and protestant services and a space for community functions. The protestant Christians later built and moved to their own church next door. In the early 1980s an addition to the Church Center was roughed in, again with volunteer labor. This addition was not completed, however, until 1992 when the Mission decided to fund completion of the project. This provided much needed growing room and a worship space designed for Catholic use only. A wide, folding partition made it possible to open the upstairs fully for Sunday Mass and other liturgical functions, but still keep the sanctuary separate from the Community Center at other times.
Our Lady of the Lake was originally designated as a Mission Church of Deer Park. We were later reassigned to Assumption Parish which then had three resident priests and was thus able to provide a celebrant for Sunday Masses. During that period, the Mission administration and nearly all church functions, not requiring a priest, were provided by lay members of the congregation. A very active Catholic prayer group and volunteer members of the Mission congregation were also instrumental in day to day operations of the House of the Lord Retreat Center which was built by Larry and Ramona Salvatore, one of our original Catholic founding families.
In 1978 our youth group was formed and began a tradition of reenacting the Passion of Christ in the Stations of the Cross. This moving performance was seen by many Catholic congregations and Christian groups throughout the Spokane area.
Through the years we have been very blest by area priests, too numerous to mention, who were willing to come and say mass and minister to our other spiritual needs. All added their own special insight and spirituality and helped us form our own identity as Church. Especially noteworthy are four priests from Malawi Africa who ministered to us for several years, while completing studies at Gonzaga University. In 1997, Father Tim Clancy, a Jesuit priest, also from Gonzaga, came to say Mass. He found a home and, in time, became our first pastor.
In 2002 The Diocese of Spokane, in response to our request, and recognizing our growing congregation and the significant population growth of the area, agreed to make us a parish and encouraged us to pursue our dream of building a church. During Mass on the first Sunday of Advent, December 1st 2002, Bishop William Skylstad formally proclaimed Our Lady of the Lake a parish.
Our first activity on the newly purchased land was the construction of a Marian Grotto which is nestled within a unique rock formation in the secluded setting. The Marian Grotto is situated above and behind the planned site of our new church. While on an educational trip to Europe Father Tim visited the Cathedral at Chartres, near Paris and walked the labyrinth which is on the Cathedral floor. Upon his return home, he shared with us how he had been deeply moved by this experience. At his urging we began construction of a similar labyrinth near our Marian grotto. Using all volunteer labor, the eleven circuit, brick labyrinth, forty-five feet in diameter was completed in the summer of 2003.
In 1969 five Catholic families, the original seed of what would eventually become Our Lady of the Lake Parish, began celebrating mass in an old school house in Scotts Valley. Services later moved to the Sunset Bay Café. The heartfelt desire of this dedicated group of faithful was to someday build a Catholic Church in this area.
Both Catholic and non-Catholic residents of the area joined together in 1970, and began construction of a Church/Community Center. With volunteer labor, the building was completed in 1972 and provided a home for Catholic and protestant services and a space for community functions. The protestant Christians later built and moved to their own church next door. In the early 1980s an addition to the Church Center was roughed in, again with volunteer labor. This addition was not completed, however, until 1992 when the Mission decided to fund completion of the project. This provided much needed growing room and a worship space designed for Catholic use only. A wide, folding partition made it possible to open the upstairs fully for Sunday Mass and other liturgical functions, but still keep the sanctuary separate from the Community Center at other times.
Our Lady of the Lake was originally designated as a Mission Church of Deer Park. We were later reassigned to Assumption Parish which then had three resident priests and was thus able to provide a celebrant for Sunday Masses. During that period, the Mission administration and nearly all church functions, not requiring a priest, were provided by lay members of the congregation. A very active Catholic prayer group and volunteer members of the Mission congregation were also instrumental in day to day operations of the House of the Lord Retreat Center which was built by Larry and Ramona Salvatore, one of our original Catholic founding families.
In 1978 our youth group was formed and began a tradition of reenacting the Passion of Christ in the Stations of the Cross. This moving performance was seen by many Catholic congregations and Christian groups throughout the Spokane area.
Through the years we have been very blest by area priests, too numerous to mention, who were willing to come and say mass and minister to our other spiritual needs. All added their own special insight and spirituality and helped us form our own identity as Church. Especially noteworthy are four priests from Malawi Africa who ministered to us for several years, while completing studies at Gonzaga University. In 1997, Father Tim Clancy, a Jesuit priest, also from Gonzaga, came to say Mass. He found a home and, in time, became our first pastor.
In 2002 The Diocese of Spokane, in response to our request, and recognizing our growing congregation and the significant population growth of the area, agreed to make us a parish and encouraged us to pursue our dream of building a church. During Mass on the first Sunday of Advent, December 1st 2002, Bishop William Skylstad formally proclaimed Our Lady of the Lake a parish.
Our first activity on the newly purchased land was the construction of a Marian Grotto which is nestled within a unique rock formation in the secluded setting. The Marian Grotto is situated above and behind the planned site of our new church. While on an educational trip to Europe Father Tim visited the Cathedral at Chartres, near Paris and walked the labyrinth which is on the Cathedral floor. Upon his return home, he shared with us how he had been deeply moved by this experience. At his urging we began construction of a similar labyrinth near our Marian grotto. Using all volunteer labor, the eleven circuit, brick labyrinth, forty-five feet in diameter was completed in the summer of 2003.
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Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church
P.O. BOX 447 Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026 1 (509) 651-5352 Sunday Mass 9:00am in person |
