Church‘s first century: Saint Anthony of Padua marks 100 years

In the early days of what is now east King County, priests traveled up the Snoqualmie River to celebrate Mass in communities along the river.

January 22, 2015 5:00 pm

By BRIAN LEBLANC

Reprinted with permission of NWCatholic.org.

In the early days of what is now east King County, priests traveled up the Snoqualmie River to celebrate Mass in communities along the river.

In 1914, local Catholics built a small church on donated land in Tolt (now Carnation), with funds from the Catholic Extension Society and $500 from a private donor. St. Anthony Mission was dedicated Nov. 13, 1914, by Bishop Edward O’Dea, according to a history on the mission’s website.

A lot has changed in 100 years, but St. Anthony of Padua in Carnation is still a mission church, with a small community of 123 families.

“It’s such a welcoming, warm place,” said Polly Hutchison, a member of the parish committee that planned this year’s centennial festivities. With just one Sunday Mass each week plus a monthly Spanish Mass, “everyone knows everyone,” she said.

The mission’s centennial was a big event for the small faith community. “People were so excited and they really prepared for it,” said Father R. Roy Baroma, priest administrator of St. Anthony’s and its parent parish, Our Lady of Sorrows in Snoqualmie.

Updating the 100-year-old church building was a major part of the centennial committee’s planning efforts. Through a variety of fundraising events, the parish was able to have refurbished vintage light fixtures installed, and new kneeler pads and pew cushion covers.

A “huge change” for the church, Hutchison said, is replacing plain colored windows with a series of stained-glass windows. The first window, featuring the mission’s patron, St. Anthony of Padua, has been installed on the right side of the church. Next, a window of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be installed with funds contributed by St. Anthony’s Hispanic community.

Four more windows will highlight “scenes of God’s creation that are unique to Snoqualmie Valley,” including Snoqualmie Falls, Hutchison said.

With such a small congregation, sometimes it can be challenging to get things done, Hutchison said, but people step up to help. “If we thought someone else would do it, nothing would get done,” she said.

In the end, the parishioners’ efforts netted $12,600 for the centennial improvements; the parish contributed another $2,500, said Tona McGuire, centennial committee coordinator.

The year of fundraising and celebration was capped off by a centennial Mass Oct. 26 by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain. Part of his message to, Hutchison said, was “even though it’s 100 years later and we have technology and changes, people are the same.”

Being able to celebrate its centennial was a gift to the faith community, Father Baroma said. “The challenge is for every member of the church to be engaged to continue the history.”