The Archdiocese of Seattle Welcomes Archbishop Paul D. Etienne

SEATTLE, Sept. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle, for reasons of health. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, who was appointed coadjutor archbishop on April 29, succeeds him. Archbishop Etienne is the sixth archbishop of Seattle.

"Our highest priority is to help people encounter Christ," said Archbishop Etienne, who has spent recent months celebrating Mass at parishes and meeting with Catholics around the archdiocese. "As the shepherd of this archdiocese, I want to help people know Christ on an intimate and personal level. Everything else follows that central priority."

With a focus on evangelization, Archbishop Etienne will begin developing a strategic pastoral plan to foster a community that loves Christ and helps people live more fully for Christ.

"I also recognize the need in this community to hear more from your bishops. You want to know how the Catholic Church is responding to key issues and you want more transparency around the church," he said. "Transparency is something that I'm committed to and will continue to uphold. I will speak out about issues and ensure our community understands our Catholic teaching."

"I want to thank the people of the Archdiocese of Seattle for their warm welcome and encouraging words," Archbishop Etienne said, adding that he is eager to "get out across the archdiocese and work collaboratively with parishes and people."  

Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
Last September, Archbishop Sartain wrote to Pope Francis requesting the appointment of a coadjutor archbishop due to ongoing health challenges following a series of spinal surgeries. With this leadership change, Archbishop Sartain becomes archbishop emeritus.

"I know that under Archbishop Etienne's leadership, our archdiocese will grow and our people will grow more deeply in love with the Lord Jesus," said Archbishop Emeritus Sartain. "I was delighted to learn in April that Pope Francis had appointed him coadjutor, and he will always have my full support."

Welcome Activities
Please join us for today's welcome activities for Archbishop Etienne:

• Noon – Archbishop Etienne will address the people of the Archdiocese of Seattle in a Facebook Live session on the Archdiocese of Seattle Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ArchdioceseofSeattle
• 4 p.m. – Prayer service at St. James Cathedral
• 5:30 p.m. – Welcome Mass at St. James Cathedral

About Archbishop Paul D. Etienne
Archbishop Paul D. Etienne was born to a large Catholic family in Tell City, Indiana. He is one of six children and has two brothers who are Catholic priests, as well as a sister who is a Benedictine nun. 

Prior to his role in the Archdiocese of Seattle, Archbishop Etienne was the fourth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, where he was installed November 9, 2016, after serving as bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming, for seven years. 

He studied at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky; the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota; and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned a Licentiate of Spiritual Theology in 1995. 

On June 27, 1992, he was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, where he served as pastor of several parishes, vocation director and vice-rector of the Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary. 

On October 19, 2009, he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne by Pope Benedict XVI. He served there until October 4, 2016, when he was appointed archbishop of Anchorage by Pope Francis.

You can read more from Archbishop Etienne on his blog: www.archbishopetienne.com.

About the Archdiocese of Seattle 

The Archdiocese of Seattle encompasses all of Western Washington, stretching from Canada to Oregon and from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. There are 169 parishes, missions and pastoral centers in the archdiocese, with more than 500 weekly Masses celebrated in eight languages. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne leads the archdiocese and is supported by two auxiliary bishops, Bishop Eusebio Elizondo and Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg. For more information about the Archdiocese of Seattle, visit seattlearchdiocese.org

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Media Contact:
Helen McClenahan
[email protected]
Media relations line: 206-402-9373

SOURCE Archdiocese of Seattle

Related Links

http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/