Dearest Archbishop Sartain,
It is with a heavy heart that I sit putting these words to paper. I am writing you concerning the deplorable situation that now surrounds Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Tacoma, Washington.
I know this is not about me but I would like to give a brief outline of whom I am and where I come from.
My name is Tim Faker, I was born in Tacoma and my lovely wife Dawn and I live in the house where my parents lived when I was born, we have six children and nine grandchildren. I am a lifelong Catholic; I am a member of the Pastoral Council and the Deputy Grand Knight at Visitation Parish in Tacoma. I attended Holy Rosary School for grades one through eight, was Baptized, received my First Communion, my Confirmation, and was married in that Church. My family history there goes back long before my birth, with my uncles and brothers and sisters attending Holy Rosary.
We and others find it very difficult dealing with what is going on in these trying times: the sex abuse scandal; the lack of respect for God’s miracle of human life; what seems to be in many cases a lukewarm direction from the ambo, leaving one feeling unfulfilled; a lack of priests making it necessary for deacons to take the position of pastoral leaders in the parishes. These are some of the reasons for me, my wife and other Catholics I speak with to question their place, not their faith, but their place in the church.
We need beacons of hope, beacons of tradition and beacons of history. Holy Rosary Church is an icon, visual and emotional, on the landscape of the city and of the Catholic faith.
Holy Rosary Church, this cathedral-like structure with its massive wooden doors, this place of wonder with the stained-glass windows that can transform the faithful to a place and time that they physically could not be, stained glass windows that no doubt will not be found repeated, this house of God, is a place of deep reflection and contemplation. To lose the history, the heart and soul of this Church, is truly unthinkable.
We need to see the Archdiocese do what is necessary to return this irreplaceable place of Catholic worship, this house of God, back to the members of the Church, the faithful, to be used as a place of inspiration for new members, a place that the faithful can take individuals young and old to sit and discuss what it is to be a true Catholic, to entice them to become Baptized Catholic, to begin the walk of true Catholic faith, as an example of part of what we hold dear, a place to hold close to their heart, a place where those that have wandered can return.
A Parish official said, “It’s just a building, what counts is the community.” I find that only partially true; it’s so much more than a building. Churches such as Holy Rosary help one find and remember their place.
When Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple, Jesus said to them, “Didn’t you know I would be in my Father’s House?” Our Father’s house is so very meaningful, so very embracing, and so fundamentally important.
Your Grace, we need your help. Please don’t allow the loss of this irreplaceable icon of Catholic faith, Holy Rosary Church.
Most Sincerely,
Tim and Dawn Faker